March 29, 2005
Colombia's presence in Venezuela's summit discredits Washington fears

(El País) - "Washington likely to watch Zapatero's meeting with President Chávez extremely closely.

Brazil is also eager to push forward an agreement to sell 12 AMX-T fighter bombers and 24 Super Tucano training and combat aircraft to Venezuela, and in addition Caracas has put in an order for 100,000 AK-47 assault rifles from Russia.

(...)Venezuela's armament drive has elicited concern from the United States - even if it has not in neighboring Bogota - amid fears that some of the arms could fall into the hands of Colombia's FARC guerrillas (...)

The fact that the Colombian president is present at the summit with the leaders of Brazil, Spain and Venezuela essentially discredits Washington's fears, with Spain and Brazil framing the negotiations and the arms sales in the perspective of fighting terrorism and international crime (...)".