Venezuelan Military Buildup

(Bogota, Colombia) Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Michael Mullen visited Colombia and spoke a few words about Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Mullen spoke at a news conference with Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and Armed Forces Chief General Freddy Padilla at the outset of a two-day visit.

Chavez is negotiating with Russia to buy five diesel electric submarines that he says Venezuela needs to protect its extensive offshore oil drilling facilities.

He also went shopping in Belarus in June for an air defense system.

And in 2006, Venezuela signed contracts with Russia to buy 53 Mi-24 armored helicopter gunships, Sukhoi 30 fighter planes and 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles.

The Venezuelans also have talked about building a factory to manufacture the AK-47 assault rifles in Venezuela, a development that US and Colombian officials fear could flood the region with arms.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has taken a dim view of Chavez's intentions, accusing him of supporting Colombia's main rebel group, the FARC, and rejecting his call for it to be removed from the US list of terrorist organizations. (ed. bold)

I'd say that Chavez's intentions must be questioned because it looks like he's going to be starting something.