WASHINGTON, May 16 (UPI) -- The United States Monday slapped a full arms ban on Venezuela for its lack of effort in fighting global terror, U.S. State Department officials said.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Washington was concerned about the country's relationship with Iran and Cuba, which he called "state sponsors of terror." He also cited suspected interaction between Venezuela and Colombian guerrilla groups.
The ban prohibits the sale of U.S. arms to Venezuela, including military equipment made with U.S. technology manufactured outside the United States.
Since November last year, the United States has blocked the sale to Venezuela of aircraft and ships from Brazil and Spain that contained U.S. components. Spain replaced the parts with European ones, and Venezuela said it would buy planes from Russia instead of Brazil, the L.A. Times reported.
Venezuela recently purchased 100,000 rifles from Russia, which have yet to be delivered.
Monday's ban came on the same day that the leftist President Hugo Chavez -- on a two-day visit to England -- accused President George Bush of being a terrorist and said he should be tried in an international criminal court.
