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  • S. America on brink of war

    Article published Mar 3, 2008
    South America on brink of war

    March 3, 2008


    By Martin Arostegui - SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — South America was on the brink of war yesterday as Venezuela and Ecuador amassed troops on the Colombian border in response to the killing of a Marxist rebel leader.

    Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to join the rebels in a war to overthrow hard-line Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a key ally of the United States, deploying tanks, fighter jets and thousands of troops along the Colombian border.

    Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa also ordered troops to the border, expelled Colombia's ambassador and recalled its ambassador to Bogota, but left its embassy open. Venezuela closed its embassy in Colombia and ordered all diplomats home.

    A weekend battle sparked the mobilization, in which Colombian forces killed a top leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a camp in Ecuador.

    "The obsessive conduct of those who prize the military option sharpens the armed conflict with grave possible consequences" read a statement from Venezuela's Foreign Ministry after the weekend killing of FARC's second in command, Raul Reyes.

    On his weekly Sunday talk show "Hello President," Mr. Chavez accused Colombia of "invading" Ecuador, and compared the action to Israeli attacks against Palestinians.

    "The Colombian government has become the Israel of Latin America," Mr. Chavez said. He called Colombia a "terrorist" state and its president, Mr. Uribe, a criminal; "Dracula's fangs are covered in blood."

    Mr. Correa said Colombia deliberately carried out the strike beyond its borders. "There is no justification," he said last night, snubbing an earlier announcement from Colombia that it would apologize for the incursion.

    Colombia's government said yesterday documents found in a jungle camp in Ecuador where Colombia troops killed Mr. Reyes showed ties between the FARC rebels and Mr. Correa, including contacts with his government about political proposals.

    Police Cmdr. Gen. Oscar Naranjo said documents found in computers belonging to Mr. Reyes showed contacts between a top Correa government minister and the FARC commander to discuss political proposals and projects on the frontier.

    "The questions raised by these documents need concrete answers," Gen. Naranjo said. "What is the state of relations between the Ecuadorean government and a terrorist group like the FARC."

    Mr. Uribe has often accused the FARC of using Venezuelan and Ecuadorean territory as safe havens from military attacks.

    Mr. Chavez has been trying to negotiate a prisoner exchange between the Colombian government and FARC, which holds hundreds of hostages including three American contractors and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.

    He has brokered the recent release of seven hostages thus far, including four late last month.

    During yesterday's television appearance, Mr. Chavez appeared to side with FARC's four decade effort to oust the government and establish a revolutionary state.

    "Someday Colombia will be freed from the hand of the [U.S.] empire," Mr. Chavez said. "We have to liberate Colombia."

    In another rhetorical flourish, he gave orders to Venezuela's military as millions watched on TV.

    "Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately — tank battalions, deploy the air force," Mr. Chavez said. "We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master ... to come divide us."

    Estimates of the number of troops in 10 Venezuelan battalions ranged from 3,000 to 6,000.

    Yesterday's threat pushes already tense relations between the South American neighbors to their lowest point since Mr. Chavez took power in 1999, vowing to make Venezuela a revolutionary socialist state.

    Speaking in Texas, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said officials were monitoring the situation.

    "This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia's efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage," Mr. Johndroe said.

    Colombia denied it violated Ecuador's sovereignty but acknowledged attacking the camp maintained on Ecuadorean soil by FARC.

    "The terrorists, among them Raul Reyes, have had the custom of killing in Colombia and taking refuge in the territory of neighboring countries. Many times Colombia has suffered from this situation," Colombia's Foreign Ministry said.

    In addition to Mr. Reyes, 16 Colombian rebels died in the attack.

    U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Suzanne Hall, in Bogota, would not comment on possible American involvement in the operation that led to Mr. Reyes' death.

    "This is a government of Colombia operation," she said. "Talk to the government of Colombia for any operational details."

    Mr. Correa said Colombia's military violated Ecuadorean airspace and entered to carry away Mr. Reyes' body.

    Mr. Reyes, 59, whose real name is Luis Edgar Devia Silva, had been mentioned as a favorite to succeed aging leader Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda.

    His death marks the biggest single victory since Mr. Uribe took office in 2002 with a vow to defeat the rebels. He has received billions of dollars in U.S. military aid.

    Colombia has already carried out limited operations against FARC sanctuaries in Venezuela.

    In 2004, an undercover team snatched the group's "chancellor," Rodrigo Granda, from Caracas. In another incident last year, two Colombian soldiers were killed while on an intelligence mission along the border of both countries.

    While the Colombian army is numerically superior and is thought to be better trained than Venezuela's, Mr. Chavez's recent acquisition of 53 Russian combat helicopters and 24 Sukhoi SU 30 warplanes potentially gives him air superiority, military analysts say.

    This article is based in part on wire service reports.
    Winning means you're willing to go longer, work harder, and give more than anyone else - Vince Lombardi

  • #2
    Bizarre! I thought the FARC rebels were everyone's enemies.

    Dem all need fi chill!


    BLACK LIVES MATTER

    Comment


    • #3
      If someone keeps committing crimes against me and run next door to your yard for sanctuary, sooner or alter I will come and get him. If you have a problem with that, I will come and get you too. Chavez had better cool it. This could be an excuse for folks to isolate him, or worse, move against him. Most nations and people in SA do not like FARC.
      "Jah Jah see dem a come, but I & I a Conqueror!"

      Comment


      • #4
        I agree!


        BLACK LIVES MATTER

        Comment


        • #5
          Well Chavez wouldn't want to be on
          the beach and see half a dozen missiles rising
          from the ocean, then in one swoop his airforce
          is no more.

          Comment


          • #6
            Please Jawge, come back to reality.


            BLACK LIVES MATTER

            Comment


            • #7
              well Columbia did create a bit of a mess by not doing what Turkey did with Iraq by saying look we will come across the border. At the same time Chzvez is bluffing and he should provide some kind of reprimand to Columbia and dont give anyone a reason to get involved.

              Comment


              • #8
                Reality? Yuh read CNN and what happened in
                Southern Somalia?

                If Chavez nuh keep dem underground, guaranteed one morning, he wakes up and they are all in flames or just burnt metal (that's if he keeps up the threats against the power to the north).

                That in itself would not be pretty for Ben's present Govt. (who is silent, mum against Chavez now

                Wha di song say? Too many ........... not enough...........? Some man ah go exposed as being ultra naive in this global politics ting, watch di ride.

                Comment


                • #9
                  and who is going to authorized that. You forget that a democratic congress is not going to sanction that, at least not now

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Naive like Michael Manley ?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      OJ the dynamics are shifting in the global market;
                      food is fast coming to be an expensive commodity. US has its interest in
                      S.America. Taking out Chavez's air capabilities then leaving him to ground troops of an ally would not be ruled out.

                      Right now Ben an company better hope say him cool out

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Look like seh you lost in the caves.

                        Yuh cyaan read the New Govt game... continue to match cyard.

                        Comment

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