The Miami Herald
Sat, Oct. 4, 2008

Guyana worried by new Venezuelan weaponry

Guyana's opposition party worries about Russian weapons going to neighboring Venezuela and officials say they are monitoring the situation.

The People's National Congress says the sales are reminiscent of a 1966 buildup, when Venezuela occupied half of Ankoko Island that Guyana says is its territory.

Foreign Minister Manzoor Nadir said Saturday that he ''is not ignorant of the situation in Venezuela'' and will monitor it.

Russia recently gave Venezuela a $1 billion credit to buy weapons. It also has signed contracts worth more than $4.4 billion since 2005 to supply arms including fighter jets and 100,000 Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Guyana and Venezuela have a long-standing border dispute.