Venezuela will not honor an agreement with Colombia to buy 10 thousand
cars from Colombian car factories, but purchase these cars in
Argentina, the country’s Trade Minister announced Monday amid tensions
over Colombia’s plans to allow more U.S. troops on its soil.
“We will buy from the Agrentinian car industry, which is of very good quality. Let [U.S. President Barack Obama] buy these 10 thousand cars we were going to buy from Colombia,” Trade Minister Eduardo Saman said Monday.
The Minister made the remarks during a meeting between Venezuelan and Argentinian businessmen in Caracas one day before Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez is expected to visit Venezuela.
Saman did not rule out Venezuela would favor Argentina with the purchase of other goods and services now imported from Colombia.
“Argentina is able to replace all that Colombia produces, as its industry is very advanced,” the Minister said.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez last week announced a complete import stop of Colombian products to pressure the neighbor to not proceed with a pending deal with the U.S. that allows more U.S. troops on Colombian soil to conduct counternarcotics operations. Both venezuela and allly Ecuador consider an expandion of U.S. military presence in the region a threat.