Via this site or the news, I learn that the Venezuelan Government will acquire 100,000 AK-103 and AK-104 assault rifles from the Russians and license the manufacturing of another 200,000.
While the discussion seems to center around the US or Russia difference and whether the guns are the rights one or not, I am simply flabbergasted that this Government will spend some US$ 300 million to acquire more guns and this price does not even include the bullets!
Imagine a country where only twelve million Venezuelans are above 18, whose military already has more than half a million assault rifles and they plan to add another 300,000 to “modernize” the Armed Forces. We are talking almost one assault rifle for every ten adult Venezuelans!
There are two very sad aspects about this. First of all, those guns will end up killing only Venezuelans. Second, this revolution that claims to feel so much for the poor continues to spend inordinate amounts of money in weapons. Another Chávez promise down the drain. Chavez had promised when campaigning in 1998 that he would divert big military spending from the military to the people.
While many view this as a political issue, to me it’s economic. For decades, the Venezuelan military has spent inordinate amounts of money on expensive weapons projects that have only been useful to intimidate civilians and help grown men play games. This from Governments, past and present, that never assumed their proper role of giving good services to their people. How I envy the Costa Rican model! No military, only police…
The Devil's Excrement 
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