Chávez says yes to Russian base

Russia is planning to open an airbase for its strategic nuclear bombers in Venezuela in a snub to the United States that taints a promised rapprochement between Moscow and Washington. Venezuela's president, Hugo Chávez, has offered a Caribbean island for the base and a team of Russian officers has already inspected the facilities, it has emerged. Major General Anatoly Zhikharev, the Russian air force's chief of staff for long-range aviation, told reporters in Moscow that Chávez had proposed the site and the Russian side was considering it. "If a relevant political decision is made, this is possible," he said. Kremlin officials yesterday attempted to play down the proposal, saying it was theoretical, but Zhikharev stressed that the military aerodrome on La Orchila island was ideal for Russia's Tu-160 "Blackjack" strategic bombers, which flew to Venezuela for high-profile exercises in September. The air force chief said he had visited La Orchila to examine its military airfield. The runway was being extended, he said, making it the right length for takeoff by Russia's long-range bombers when they are heavily loaded with fuel. Foreign bases were forbidden under Venezuelan law, "but the temporary deployment of a contingent, for example for carrying out patrols, which is what we do, is possible," Zhikharev added. The White House has been unnerved by recent Kremlin moves to expand its military potential to the Americas. The possibility of Russia opening an airbase on Cuba has also been mooted. Analysts said the La Orchila proposal was unlikely to pose a direct military threat to the US, but demonstrated that Moscow and Washington were competing hard for influence in South America, despite promising to "press the reset button" in their relations. The Tu-160 has a range of 12,300km without refuelling.