BUENOS AIRES (RIA Novosti) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez told a regional summit on Friday that there would be no Russian military bases on his country's territory.

“The U.S. blocks our imports of spare parts for military equipment. That's why we have asked Moscow and Beijing for help. But Venezuela has not and will not have either Russian or Chinese military bases on its territory,” Chavez said.
The Venezuelan leader said the deployment of a U.S. military contingent in Colombia could be the first step to an invasion in his country.
Relations between Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela have been tense since Colombian troops attacked a FARC camp in Ecuador last year. As many as 24 guerrillas, including a senior FARC commander, were killed in the raid.