Chavez blames medical equipment problems on Philips

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks to journalists at the ALBA summit in Cochabamba, October 17, 2009.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez blamed Dutch company Philips on Tuesday for problems the country's health network has had with medical equipment and said the government reserves the right to take legal action.

Chavez's comments echoed those by Cuba's former president, Fidel Castro, who last month accused Philips of reneging on a contract and betraying Cuba and Venezuela by cutting off supplies of medical equipment due to pressure from the United States.

"These (medical) high technology centers ... have problems with their equipment due to the pressure the United States government is exercising on Philips, which has not completed (its contract) and that is affecting us," Chavez said during a cabinet meeting broadcast on state television.

"Of course, we reserve the right to take legal actions," he added, without giving details.

In a September opinion piece, Castro said Cuba acquired medical equipment from Philips and German company Siemens in 2006 to cover the island's needs and Cuban projects such as those in Venezuela but that it had not received supplies for the last three years.

(Reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez; Writing by Rebekah Kebede; Editing by John O'Callaghan)