U.S. wants to block sale of Brazilian aircraft to Venezuela

the u.s. won't be happy until every corporate chief and head of state has to ask permission from the u.s. to go to the bathroom...

Brazilian jetmaker Embraer said on Friday it still hopes to sell 20 planes to Venezuela, despite what government officials have called pressure from the United States to halt the sale. The potential deal, valued at some USD$200 million, ran into trouble last week because the planes contain US technology and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is a foe of the White House.

"I think there will be some change, because the plane that we are talking about isn't for aggression. It's a plane to enforce laws against drugs and arms trafficking," Embraer Chief Executive Mauricio Botelho said at a news conference. "The plane responds to worries of Venezuela, Brazil and the US. That is what gives us hope that there will be an agreement reached, because this plane will never be used for international aggression," he said.

Embraer's Super Tucano is a light combat and training plane. Chavez has said the United States was prohibiting the sale and that he would buy planes from other nations if he could not purchase Embraer planes. Brazil's foreign minister, Celso Amorim, has said he would lobby for the Embraer sale.

Embraer normally has to gain permission from the governments of Brazil or the United States to sell military planes internationally, Embraer said. "The issue is between the US and Venezuela," not between Embraer, Brazil and Venezuela, he said.

an issue between the u.s. and venezuela...? oh, yeah, i would say so...

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