MIAMI—Recent weapons purchases by Venezuela seem excessive and have raised concerns that it may be funneling arms to leftist rebels elsewhere in Latin America, the U.S. military chief for the region said on Thursday.
Asked whether Colombia's Marxist guerrillas could have received some of the 100,000 Kalashnikov automatic assault rifles that Venezuela bought in June, Gen. John Craddock, who heads the Miami-based U.S. Southern Command, said: "I don't know.
"It appears that the number is in excess of the number of folks they have in their active military force," said Craddock, who spoke to reporters on the sidelines of a Latin American economic conference.
Citing discussions with military officials from Latin America, he said: "I do know that there is concern that small arms (from Venezuela) could end up in the hands of insurgents in the region and create more instability."
He did not refer specifically to populist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a former army officer who is locked in confrontation with Washington. But the United States has banned arms sales to Venezuela, citing Chavez' close ties to Iran and Cuba.
Chavez often accuses the White House of planning to invade his oil exporting country and has ordered troops and civilian reserves to train for a war against U.S. "imperialism".
"We're in a situation now where the military relations are strained," Craddock said of U.S.-Venezuelan ties.
Craddock faces confirmation hearings in Congress next week following his appointment in July by President George W. Bush as Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and top commander of NATO operations.
Edited by The Epoch Times.
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