Venezuelan govt ready to sell F-16s: Vice President
The Venezuelan government was willing to sell its F-16 aircraft bought from the United States "to anybody," Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said on Friday.

Rangel said Caracas could do whatever it wanted with the aircraft, but had no intention to break off ties with the United States.

"It is the United States who does not have the right to cut off the supply," he said.

The fighter planes were bought from the United States in the 1980s under a memorandum of understanding, which said the U.S. authorities would supply spare parts and offer technical help. In the same document, Venezuela promised not to sell the technology or the planes to a third party.

Rangel slammed the delay in the American supply of spare parts for the 21 F-16s, which had prevented Venezuelan armed forces from using the aircraft.

General Alberto Muller, one of Venezuela's chiefs of staff, proposed this week to sell the F-16s to another country, possibly Iran.

He said Venezuela was considering the purchase of Russian-made Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft to replace the F-16s.

Venezuelan Defense Minister, Admiral Olrando Maniglia, said American authorities had been stalling the spare parts supply for three years.

Washington announced this week that it was imposing an arms embargo on President Hugo Chavez's government, which Washington has accused of failing to cooperate in counterterrorism efforts.