Chilean arms purchases rile Peru

Chilean arms purchases rile Peru
Published: June 23, 2010 at 12:42 PM

LIMA, June 23 (UPI) -- Continued Chilean arms purchases put fresh strains on ties with Peru amid signs the quake-hit country would go ahead with military regeneration plans that seemed in jeopardy when an 8.8 magnitude temblor devastated large parts of its infrastructure.

Chilean President Sebastian Pinera also faced criticism that his handling of Peru in recent diplomatic contacts lacked a delicate touch and could undermine ties amid a tense series of talks on what Peru denounced as an unnecessary arms race.

The Feb. 28 earthquake forced Pinera to divert millions of dollars he said he would use to steer Chile into the 21st century. That raised optimism in Peru that Pinera would also cut back on arms purchases. However, senior diplomats told the Chilean media no arms spending cutbacks seem to be on the cards.

Former President Eduardo Frei, who ran unsuccessfully against Pinera last year, warned Pinera to be more careful in his diplomatic dealings with Chile.

Peruvian Defense Minister Rafael Rey queried Chilean counterpart Jaime Ravinet when they met in May. During the visit Rey also met with Pinera and sought to revive discussions on a draft agreement binding both sides to transparency in arms sales. The previous round of talks stalled when Peru asked Chile to reduce its arms spending by 20 percent.

More:
http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Security-Industry/2010/06/23/Chilean-arms-purchases-rile-Peru/UPI-67591277311366/

I would dare saying they're even closer to the Anglos than Colombia. It's been almost two centuries of alliance with two short but meaningful interludes. That's why Peru and Bolivia lost that incredibly rich desert land to them. English banks and Brutish imperialism!