CARACAS (Reuters) – Venezuela will at least double the number of tanks in its military as part of a broader effort to strengthen its defences, President Hugo Chavez said on Thursday.

“We are going to bring … several new tank battalions to have an armored force at least twice the size of what we have today,” he said in a televised ceremony with military officials.

The announcement comes days after Colombia said it was negotiating a deal with Washington to allow more US troops to be deployed on three military bases in the Andean nation.

Chavez sharply criticized the move, saying it posed a serious threat to Venezuela.

“The presence of these Yankee troops in Colombia will cause more problems,” said Chavez, a former paratrooper who took office as elected president just over a decade ago.

“We’re obliged to review our relations with Colombia. The things we buy from Colombia, we’ll have to buy them elsewhere,” Chavez said, naming Brazil and Ecuador as potential substitute suppliers.

Venezuela has modernized its military in recent years, buying aircraft and radar from Russia and China, respectively.

Chavez said he had already told Russian leaders of Venezuela’s decision to buy more arms.

“I don’t care what they say here next door, the neighbours; or in the North, the Yankees,” said Chavez, dressed in military uniform. “We need to strengthen our forces on land, at sea, and in the air and we’re going to continue doing that.”