Venezuela Buys Weapons As Food Shortages Become the Norm

[Bacchus4.0]

https://panampost.com/sabrina-martin/2016/02/28/venezuela-buys-weapons-as-food-shortages-become-the-norm/

Venezuela’s leaders are seemingly more concerned with the remote possibility of war than with the country’s severe economic depression and very real social unrest. According to the Stockholm Institute of Peace Research Investigations, Venezuela was Latin America’s top buyer of weapons in 2015.

President Nicolás Maduro’s government, the report concludes, spent US$162 million on weaponry last year alone.

Instead of tackling the severe shortages of food and medicine, President Maduro decided to purchase armored vehicles, artillery, war planes and ships from China (US$147 million), the United States (US$6 million), Austria (US$5 million), and the Netherlands (US$4 million).

The report ranks Venezuela as the world’s 18th largest buyer of weapons. Between 2011 and 2015, spent more on arms than any other Latin American country.

[WDIM]

1. The CIA and the US did a great job destroying that country.

In a country that constantly talks about "gun control" we sure are happy to ship guns and bombs overseas....

[Marksman_91]

2. I can't really tell if you're being sarcastic or not...

Are you implying that the US is responsible for Venezuela's current state of affairs and is driving the Chavista government to purchase more guns when the country right now needs more production and basic supplies?

[WDIM]

4. The US is most definately responsible for Venezuela's current state of affairs.

The CIA meddling in central and south America has a long well document history and nothing has changed.

[Marksman_91]

5. Ok. Care to give details on how they made that happen in Venezuela?

I mean, your conspiracy theory has been the go-to reason for many fervent defenders of Chavismo to try to explain the situation in Veenzuela for years now. You'd think that after espousing that theory for so long, the Chavista regime would've come up with a way to counteract this supposed US/CIA meddling that somehow is powerful enough to destabilize an oil-rich country's entire economy. Have you ever heard of Occam's Razor? It's a principle that states that among competing hypotheses, the one with the fewest assumptions should be selected. The one with the fewest assumptions, in this case, is simply that the Venezuelan government is absurdly corrupt and incompetent. I think I'll go with that instead, especially since you know, I'm Venezuelan myself and understand the situation in my own country better than anyone else in this forum, especially first-world caviar leftists who seem to romanticize any kind of left-leaning regime despite their obvious repressive traits and anti-progressiveness.

[WDIM]

6. The CIA doesn't work in the light of day.

Without a doubt corrupt elements probably working with the CIA have moved into positions of power. The point is to crash the economy, cause unrest, and probably start a civil-war hence the purchasing of weapons. The key there is Oil-Rich country. The US has manipulated South American economies for decades to keep the people poor and under control of brutal regimes.

[Marksman_91]

10. Oh, ok, they "work in the shadows", so there's no way to tell how they operate

See, to me, that comes out as "I have nothing substantial to back my claims, so I'm just gonna spew the random bullshit I was fed by left-wing conspiracy nutjobs and websites. It's all true now because it TOTALLY happened before. LOOK AT ALLENDE 1973. Also, I like to wear Che Guevara merchandise UNIRONICALLY"

[WDIM]

15. I can't stand Che Guevara he was a murderous thug. nt

[Marksman_91]

16. Oh, don't say that in front of the other hardcore marxists in this forum!

They might just brand you as a right-winger just because you don't think their hero el Che was a good person.

[Bacchus4.0]

3. Venezuela seems pretty happy to purchase weapons for whatever reason nt

[DetlefK]

8. And failed currency-policies have absolutely nothing to do with their economic problems.

Neither does the collapsed price of oil.

Nor corruption.

Nor the adherence to outdated political dogma.

[Bacchus4.0]

19. and that they refuse to change course Hugo still rules nt

[bemildred]

7. Venezuela has been butt-deep in weapons for as long as I can remember. nt

[Marksman_91]

11. And your point is? n/t

[bemildred]

12. That was it. nt

[Marksman_91]

13. Ok, you just like to add things that don't contribute to the conversation. Gotcha n/t

[bemildred]

14. Pretty much. nt

[Marksman_91]

17. Maybe this site isn't for you then. Just sayin' n/t

[bemildred]

18. No, I like it here. nt

[JonathanRackham]

9. Sounds like North Korea

Don't solve the internal problems, arm up and prepare to use them on the population if needed.