Venezuela
possesses 5,000 Russian-made MANPADS surface-to-air weapons, according to a
military document reviewed by Reuters, the largest known stockpile in Latin
America and a source of concern for U.S. officials amid the country's mounting
turmoil. Venezuela's socialist government has long used the threat of an
"imperialist" invasion by the United States to justify an arms
buildup. Much of that arsenal was obtained from Russia by Venezuela's late
President Hugo Chavez, whose tenure lasted from 1999 until his death in 2013. The
missiles, which are shoulder-mounted and can be operated by one person, pose a
serious threat to commercial and military aircraft. Weapons experts said there
have long been fears that the weapons could be stolen, sold or somehow
channeled to the wrong hands, concerns exacerbated by the current civil unrest
in Venezuela and the economic crisis roiling the oil-producing nation. More…
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