Venezuelan Fighter Shoots Down U.S. F-16 over Cuba

Last month there came conflicting reports from Cuba regarding the shooting down of an American F-16 fighter jet by Venezuelan Sukhoi –30MK2 Russian fighter jet participating in large scale Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces war games in the Pinar del Rio province.

The US has denied these reports, stating that their F-16 fighter jet crashed off the coast of Cuba due to "unknown" mechanical malfunction and that the pilot was safely rescued after ejecting.

Immediately after this incident, Raul Castro, Cuban Defence Minster issued this statement: "If anyone attacks us, we’re ready to pay any price necessary, but the price that will be paid by the invaders of our country will be much higher!"

Tensions in Latin Amer7uca n remain high after this incident, and the US Administration leaders are admitting that their War on Terror has now expanded to South America.

Hugo Chavez, President of Venezuela denounced the US and stated: "The US is the most cynical, the most murderous empire in all of history". Chavez also charged that President Bush has ordered his assassination and vowed: "100 years of war" should the United States attack either Venezuela or Bolivia.

A South American unity block is forming and this will see the expulsion of all the American corporations from the vast wealth of Latin America.