Brazil Buys 12 Mirage Fighthers

Brazil will buy 12 used Mirage 2000 aircrafts from the French army for US$100m. A modest investment if compared with the recent acquisitions made by the air forces of neighboring countries Chile and Venezuela, that just acquired fleets of 10 F-16 Block 50 and 24 Su-30MKII fighters respectively.

The first two Mirages will arrive to Brazil on time for the independence day parade on September the 7th. Military analysts consider the Mirage fleet obsolete and think that Brazil is losing air power to Chile and Venezuela.

Venezuela To Build Two Military Facilities in Bolivia

Venezuela pledged to fund and supervise the construction of at least two Bolivian military facilities as a part of a defense agreement. The direct Venezuelan investment will be of at least US$ 40 million. The agreement also prevents staff support in matters of military legislation and “military armament improvements” says a an EFE cable.

The fort will be built in the Riberalta region in the Amazon jungle.

The announcement was originally made by Orlando Paniagua, Defense Vice Minister. He also made it clear: Venezuela is just helping and in no way intervening in Bolivia’s sovereignty.

As for what is Bolivia doing for Venezuela's army, well. Mr. Paniagua didn't mention that bit. Must be clasified.

Lula Is Not Like Chavez and Castro Won’t Be Absolved

Lula is marking distance from his Venezuelan and Cuban colleagues. With the
presidential elections scheduled for October, he wants to avoid the “Chavez
factor” and position himself as a centrist. The strategy is working. A
recent survey by Dalafolha gives the incumbent candidate a 49% of vote intention versus 25% for conservative candidate Geraldo Alckmin.

Here goes Lula’s quote taken from O Globo and
translated by Venezuela’s El Universal:

“They do not know what to fabricate and here they go with that story of Chavezism. I will not engage in any Chavezism; firstly, because I am not Chávez, and secondly, because this country is not Venezuela. This is a country with traditional institutions”.

O Globo also quoted Lula paraphrasing the famous Castro quote: “History won’t absolve Castro”.

I Am Taking a Break

Planning to be back by August the 20th.