Chavez accuses U.S. of sending spy plane into Venezuela's airspace

CARACAS, Dec. 20 -- Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said Sunday a U.S. unmanned spy plane violated Venezuela's airspace and he had ordered the military to shoot down similar aircraft in the future.

Chavez said in his weekly television and radio speech that the spy plane took off from Columbia and overflew a Venezuelan military base in the western state of Zulia. But he didn't disclose the specific date of the violation.

The U.S. military sent the unmanned spy plane to Venezuela for espionage, he said.

Last May, Chavez declared that a U.S. patrol plane violated Venezuela's airspace, though the United States said the patrol plane had "mistakenly entered" Venezuela's airspace because of "navigation problem."

Neighboring Columbia signed a military cooperation agreement with the United States in October, allowing the U.S. to use seven military bases in Columbia, arousing Venezuela's strong criticism.

Chavez said the agreement would pave the way for the U.S. to invade Venezuela, which both the U.S. and Columbia have denied.