First Russian warplanes fly over Caracas

The first two of an anticipated 24 Russian Su-30 fighter jets are in Venezuela and have been practicing for a July 5 Caracas flyover to mark the country's independence from Spain.

Chavez is making a big show of his new Russian armaments, having invited assault rifle designer Mikhail Kalashnikov as a special guest at the military celebration.

The regime bought the Sukhois after the US refused to sell spare parts for its aging fleet of American-made F-16s.

Xinhua reports that Chavez sounded like a spoiled child who had been denied a favorite toy. He called his new Sukhois "100 times better than the F-16s that Venezuela bought from the United States."