Hugo Chavez is an Idiot.

He has a very bad case of diarrhea of the mouth. In a BBC interview he claims that the US is planning to invade his little back water country.

“Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, says he is in possession of intelligence showing that the United States plans to invade his country. In a BBC interview, Mr Chavez said the US was after his nation's oil, much as it had been after Iraq's.”

First off if we went to war in Iraq for oil why the hell is it costing $90 to fill up an expedition?

But then is uncontrolled verbal fecal matter in the article continues with this statement:

“But he stressed that any invasion would never be allowed to happen.”

Riiiiight.

Venezuela’s Military:

Navy:
18,300 Personnel
6 Light Frigates (1980-1982)
2 Diesel Submarines (1976-1977)
4 Landing Ships (1983-1984)
6 Patrol Boats (1974-1975)
1 Fleet Oiler (2001)
1 Fleet Tug (1945)
1 Survey Ship (1991)
1 Logistics Ship (1972)
1 Sail Training Ship (1980)
5000 Marines
11 landing craft
25 APCs
18 towed artillery pieces
6 air defense guns

Air Force:
7,000 Personnel
125 combat aircraft
31 armed helicopters
15 reconnaissance
3 electronic countermeasures aircraft
23 liaison aircraft
57 training aircraft.
Including:
~24 F-16 Falcons
~20 CF-5 Freedom Fighters
? Mirage 50
? Mirage III
? Mirage V
50 Mig-29 Fulcrum (proposed, not confirmed)
Two Squadrons Canberra Bombers

Army:
34, 000 Personnel
5 Infantry divisions
The infantry divisions include 15 brigades (armored, 1; cavalry, 1; light armored, 1; infantry, 7; airborne, 1; Ranger, 2; mobile, 1; counter guerrilla, 1; and military police, 1); and 3 regiments (aviation, 1; and engineering, 2).
1 Corps of engineers
1 Reserve corps.

81 AMX-30 tanks
191 light tanks (75 M-18, 35 AMX-13, and 80 Scorpion 90s)
30 M-8 reconnaissance vehicles
255 armored personnel carriers (APCs)
92 towed artillery pieces
10 self-propelled artillery pieces
20 multiple rocket launchers
225 mortars
24 antitank guided weapons
175 recoilless launchers
192 aircraft
26 helicopters (7 attack, 13 transport, and 6 support)

Coast Guard:
2 offshore patrol craft
16 inshore patrol craft.


National Guard:
24,000 Personnel
20 armored infantry fighting vehicles
24 APCs
150 mortars
14 small aircraft
26 helicopters
52 inshore patrol craft


All in all a nice collection, but hardly a match for America, IF we wanted to invade, which we wouldn’t unless they attack us as outlined in this plan.

Chavez is running his country into the ground like any other communist dictator. His military is a hollow force because anyone who shows competency in leadership is purged as a threat to Ole’ Hugo. Ask Stalin how effective that tactic is in the long run. In order to keep his power he has to seek out a threat and then focus his propaganda arm, errrr… the media, attention on it and keep crying wolf about how they are preparing to attack.

Hugo, we could care less about you. We have much more important thing to deal with than you and your cute little oil stocks. For all of your huffing and puffing, you’re no more of a threat than a mosquito. And like a mosquito, we are happy to leave you alone unless you draw blood then you will be crushed with overwhelming force.