US Imposes Arms Ban on Venezuela

The US finally reacted to goading by the Venezuelan leader, Hugo Chávez, by slapping a full arms ban on the country last night, claiming it had failed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism.

Janelle Hironimus, a state department spokeswoman, said Venezuela had forged close relations with Iran and Cuba, both classified by the US as state sponsors of terrorism. She said: "Venezuela has publicly championed the Iraqi insurgency."

President Chávez, in London yesterday on a two-day private visit, dismissed suggestions that he supported terrorism. He told the Guardian: "Washington has said that I am a modern-day Hitler."

Mr Chávez claimed that the Bush administration had accused him of terrorism because it was unhappy with his government's success. "They are very concerned, that is why they say these things."

Among reasons given for the ban, the state department referred to Venezuela's "nearly total lack of cooperation with anti-terrorist efforts over the past year" and claimed it was providing a safe haven for Colombian "narco-terrorists".

The arms ban means the US prohibits all military sales to Venezuela. The US will also try to prevent any resale of US arms and technology from other countries. Ms Hironimus said the ban would apply to new equipment and spare parts. Asked about the effect on what is normally a multi-million dollar trade, she said that Venezuela would feel the impact when it wanted to buy spare parts for its planes.

Relations between the US and Venezuela have deteriorated sharply since Mr Chávez became president. Mr Chávez has described George Bush as a "terrorist" and criticised the invasion of Iraq.

When announcing the ban, the US made no mention of oil. The US is a big importer of Venezuelan oil and cannot afford to cut off the supply.

The arms ban highlights the extent to which the US, which still regards Latin America as its backyard, is being challenged by Venezuela and Bolivia. A string of elections in Latin America have tipped the balance towards leftwing or centrist governments.

Venezuela denies aiding Colombian terrorists and claims that it has cooperated with the Colombian government. But the state department said two Colombian guerrilla groups, Farc and the National Liberation Army, were operating out of safe areas in Venezuela which they used for rest and re-supply "with little concern they will be pursued by the Venezuelan security forces".

Ms Hironimus said: "Weapons and ammunitions, some from official Venezuelan stockpiles and facilities, had turned up in the hands of Colombian-based terrorists." She added that Venezuelan identity cards were easy to obtain from corrupt and politicised agencies, "making Venezuela a potentially attractive way-station for terrorists".

The state department also referred to Venezuela's challenges to UN security council resolutions setting out steps countries had to take to stop weapons of mass destruction and terrorism.

Yesterday Mr Chávez met Labour MPs and union leaders and was a lunch guest of the London mayor, Ken Livingstone. Last night he was due to leave the UK for Algeria and Libya. At the weekend he was one of nearly 60 leaders who met in Vienna for a summit on relations between the EU and Latin-American and Caribbean countries. Tony Blair was also at the meeting but the two did not meet in London.

A Venezuelan government spokesman said last night that it was considering its response to the arms embargo.