President
Hugo Chavez at Venezuela's Manuel Rios Air Base,
where Russian TU-160 strategic bombers landed on Sept.
11. As a reaction to the Georgia crisis, Moscow is 'flexing its
muscles' in America's 'backyard.
El Patagonico, Argentina
Chavez Welcomes
Russian Bombers; Proclaims 'Yankee Hegemony is Over'
"Russian planes, strategic
bombers, TU-160s have landed in Venezuela, Yes. So that you feel the pain,
little-Yankees, I'll even fly one of those beasts."
A Russian TU-160
strategic bomber flys over the Kremlin. Two of the aircraft have landed
in Venezuala - not only to give President Hugo Chavez a chance to fly
over Cuba and wave to Fidel Castro - but to send Washington a message:
STAY OUT of our backyard - meaning Gerogia and Ukraine.
Caracas: The
president of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, announced today
that Russian warplanes are to land in his country to conduct joint exercises with
Venezuelan armed forces, and he informed the international press that he
intends to, "fly one of those beasts."
"Russian
aircraft and strategic aviation which is capable of encircling the globe are
coming to our country," said the President, as reported the Italian news
agency ANSA.
"Russian
planes, strategic bombers, TU-160s have landed in Venezuela, Yes. So that you
feel the pain, little-Yankees, I'll even fly one of those things," he
said.
"Little
Yankees [Piti-yanquis]." Chavez has used that word repeatedly in
recent weeks. It is used exclusively in Venezuela to disparagingly describe
those who imitate United Statesians [Americans].
According to the Real Academia Spanish Dictionary, the expression comes from
the French word petit (small).
Chavez added that
it's "very possible" that joint military exercises with Russia will
be held, which would solidify our strategic alliance, but he denied that he
seeks to include Venezuela in a new Cold War between Moscow and Washington over
the conflict in Georgia and the U.S. space shield, as his domestic opponents
believe.
"They are
running around like mad saying that Chavez has gotten Venezuela into a Cold
War, that Russian communism is coming. This is how far this madness has gone -
there is a television channel that claims this is happening," he said.
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
CHAVEZ TAUNTS
'LITTLE YANKEES'; SAYS HE'LL PILOT RUSSIA TU-160
The president
defended Russia's stance on resuming its strategic flight patrols "of the
world," considering that the United States seeks to "encircle
it."
In addition, he
reiterated that talks with Moscow to buy submarines and an air defense system
equipped with long-range rockets continue, and he announced that agreements
with China have been signed for the purchase of training aircraft.
Continuing along
these lines, he said that all of these actions are part of the formation of a
"multi-polar world," which is one of the objectives of Venezuela's
foreign policy.
"Foreign hegemony
- the hegemony of the Yankee - is finished, and a multi-polar world is
coming," he stressed.
