Chavez

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez accused the United States on
Wednesday of using anti-drug flights for spying — and said that fighter
jets are ready to defend Venezuela's sovereignty.

Chavez said a
U.S. Navy plane that flew into Venezuelan airspace during a purported
anti-drug mission was actually involved in reconnaissance.

"They
are spying, even testing our capacity to react," Chavez said in a
televised speech. "We are not going to allow the violation of our
sovereignty."

The U.S. Navy plane was detected by Venezuelan
authorities Saturday near the Caribbean island of La Orchila, and its
crew was questioned over the radio by Caracas' airport control tower.

Chavez
said that pilots who fly Venezuela's SU-30 Sukhoi combat jets, newly
bought from Russia, were "starting their engines" shortly after the
U.S. Navy plane was detected.

U.S. government officials say the
S-3 Navy plane was on a counter-drug mission when it accidentally
strayed into Venezuelan airspace due to a navigational error.

The incident has aggravated U.S.-Venezuelan tensions.

A
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman in Caracas did not immediately return a
message seeking comment on Chavez's statements. U.S. officials have
dismissed the Venezuelan leader's past spying accusations.

Chavez also reacted angrily on Wednesday to Washington's concerns that his government could be aiding Colombian rebels.

"Columbian rebels"? No, this is FARC, a known terrorist group. Chavez is pissed that he's being cornered like the rat he is for his ties to them and he's trying to deflect attention away. Even Stevie Wonder could see that.

Travis