Ambassador Denies that Venezuela Buys Weapons from Belarus

Venezuela does not buy weapons from Belarus, Americo Dias Nunes, the Venezuelan ambassador to Belarus, told BelaPAN while commenting on a report by the Spanish newspaper El Pais that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez planned to supply weapons to Colombia’s left-wing guerillas with the help of Belarus.

Americo Dias NunesThat report was false, Mr. Nunes said. Venezuela has never bought Belarusian tactical weapons, such as assault rifles, ammunition and everything that rebels use, he stressed.

Such lies are spread on the initiative of enemies of Belarus and Venezuela who want to trigger some tension between the two nations, he said.

Reporting with reference to a source in the Colombian government, the Spanish daily said on May 10 that Belarus’ involvement in the deal was revealed in an e-mail found stored on the computer of Raul Reyes, a leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who was killed earlier this year.

The e-mail, sent by FARC top member Ivan Marquez on February 8, said that Mr. Chavez “considered with the Belarusian authorities the possibility of weapons supplies.” “Our Belarusian friend continues work on the package on ways to the black market to solve the problems,” the newspaper quoted the guerilla as saying in the message.

The e-mail reportedly said that a delegation “from the friend” was to arrive in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on February 17 to discuss weapons supplies to the FARC.

“Angel asked us to be here and reach agreement with the delegation personally,” the e-mail said.

El Pais said that Angel was Mr. Chavez’s pseudonym and the man referred to as “our Belarusian friend” was Viktar Sheyman, state secretary of the Belarusian Security Council and a member of Alyaksandr Lukashenka’s inner circle.

The newspaper said that Belarus contracted to supply €720 million worth of weapons to Venezuela in 2007, and that the deal was negotiated by Mr. Sheyman.

Mr. Sheyman visited Venezuela between February 15 and 19.

The State Secretariat of the Security Council of Belarus dismissed El Pais’ report as mere speculation.