Chavez makes call to arms

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he is considering buying enough rifles to arm one million people ready to repel a possible US invasion. Mr Chavez also threatened to close down his government's US-based refineries if Washington decided to cut diplomatic ties. During a speech warning his supporters that Washington was considering an invasion of Venezuela, Mr Chavez said that 100,000 Russian-built Kalashnikov assault rifles would not be enough to defend the country. "We still need a higher number of rifles. The 100,000 Russian rifles are not enough, Venezuela needs to have one million well-equipped and well-armed men and women," he said.

"I've started making contacts with some countries" that would be able to supply the rifles, Mr Chavez told the crowd of supporters to rousing applause. Relations between Washington and Caracas have been tense in recent months in part because of US criticism of Venezuela's purchases of military equipment, including 100,000 Russian-made assault rifles. Mr Chavez said Venezuela did not want to go to the extreme of cutting off petroleum supplies to the US but he said if Washington wanted to break relations he could easily order Venezuela's US refineries closed. "We'll see how high oil prices go, we'll see how much a gallon of gas will cost. I could easily sell the oil we sell to the United States to other countries," he said.

"We don't want to get to that extreme, we want them to leave us in peace." Venezuela is the world's fifth biggest oil exporter and supplies about 15 per cent of US petroleum imports. Washington has made no suggestion that it plans to cut off relations with Venezuela but Washington ordered out a Venezuelan diplomat after Chavez expelled a US military attache on spying charges earlier this week. During today's marathon speech, Mr Chavez extended his war of words with Washington, comparing US President George W Bush to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler while commemorating a failed 1992 coup he led as a lieutenant colonel.

"If any president in this world is similar, including physically, to Adolf Hitler it is Mr Danger," said Mr Chavez, prompting cheers from his supporters following a march through Caracas. "The imperialist, mass murdering, fascist attitude of the president of the United States doesn't have limits. I think Hitler could be a nursery baby next to George W Bush," Mr Chavez added.

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