Venezuela's National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) displayed on Tuesday their military power at a civilian-military parade on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Venezuela's Independence with war materials mainly procured from Russia and China.

PTR-80 armored vehicles; GRAD, 122-mm rocket launchers; T-72 tanks; MI-17B-5, MI-35 and MI-26 Russian-made choppers; Sukhoi-MK2 and Sukhoi30-MK2 aircraft showed up at Los Próceres Promenade in Caracas for the 200th anniversary of Venezuela's Independence, Efe reported.

"What a sweeping patriotic passion! What a bicentennial celebration! Look at the people! Look at the soldiers! Being a soldier of Simón Bolívar's people is a cause for pride!" an exultant President Hugo Chávez posted on his twitter account @chavezcandanga.

The president expressed his gratitude for the Russian government support. "Thanks to Russia, its government and support, we do have today a real army! What a morality! Congratulations!"

The civilian-military march featured troops from most Latin American and Caribbean countries, and also military delegations from China, Russia and Belarus, followed by the Venezuelan army.

The march included 12,475 "Bolivarian, socialist, revolutionary, anti-imperialist, trained and equipped combatants joined by the people's power and representatives of 21 countries of the great homeland," the head of the military parade, General Carlos Alcalá, said in greeting President Chávez together with the customary motto "Socialist Homeland or Death!"