I think everyone should. While all eyes are firmly locked on the Middle East and the Pacific something is brewing in Central and S. America that will catch us all by surprise unless we're proactive.
A trickle of weapons sales has turned into a full blown arms race and Europe, Russia, China and the US all are trying to setup proxy states to advance their interests.
The latest chess move in the region is being made by Venezuela. Two battalions of T-72B1 tanks is nothing to sneeze at. This via Forcas Terres Res.
During the celebration of 191 anniversary of the Battle of Carabobo Day and the army of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez said his country this year will acquire an additional lot of the main battle tank T-72B1, Russian-made.If a surprise war is possible, then it'll happen in S. America...not the Middle East.
Then, in order to continue the process of equipping the Armed Forces, Venezuela and Russia will sign a credit to values close to 4 billion U.S. dollars, for which he was dispatched to Moscow Deputy Minister of International Relations Temir Rojas, accompanied by an official delegation.
The intention of the government of this country this year is to have enough material to provide two new battalions equipped with the MBT, with the technical and military cooperation of the Russian Federation.
I wonder how soon those tanks will get to Venezuela from Russia. I don't see a foreign war for Venezuela in the cards. But I can easily imagine Chavez is preparing for a civil war a la Libya or Syria if he loses the election later this year.
ReplyDeleteThat's a very good point that Venezuela's largest threat is internal. Off the top of my head if I had to think of the most likely potential conflict in South America the first thing that comes to mind is Columbia and Venezuela; however, then I remember reading articles like this:
ReplyDeletehttp://latimesblogs.latimes.com/world_now/2012/05/reporting-from-bogota-and-caracas-notwithstanding-a-border-zone-attack-this-week-by-leftist-rebels-hiding-in-venezuela-that.html
While a conflict in South America is possible it seems far more probable we'll continue to see more conflict in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
If Venezuela was to have a war like said above it would likely be a civil war, I think your more likely to see a Peru/ chili war.
ReplyDeleteWell, on second thought, I can see a foreign war initiated/provoked by Chavez. It would be a purely political stunt to unify the nation against a foreign antagonist. Of course, victory would be ideal, so that Chavez wouldn't suffer the same fate as the junta in Argentina.
ReplyDelete