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CENTRAL AMERICA |
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New Warnings
About An arms Race in South
America and Nicaragua
Several Latin America former political
leaders and security experts expressed
concern over the consequences of an arms
race in South America and in Central
America’s Nicaragua.
The area’s investment in military hardware
in the last five years has almost doubled
from 24 billion US dollars in 2003 to 47
billion last year according to Colombian
political analyst Javier Loaiza.
During a forum in Prague, Loaiza pointed out
that while Colombia and Mexico invest in
arms to combat domestic problems generated
by drug cartels and paramilitary forces
“other countries with no major internal
problems” are launched in a race to acquire
offensive weapons.
Former Bolivian president Jorge Quiroga said
that the region is facing “a process of
rearmament in South America and not in Latin
Aamerica” and accused Venezuela of going
ahead with “the most dangerous project of
our history” in reference to the so called
Bolivarian revolution promoted by President
Hugo Chavez.
A former Guatemalan Defence minister General
Francisco Bermudez said he was surprised
that the Inter-American Security Junta from
the Organization of American States has
remained silent “about the arms race in
three or four countries, when it should be
promoting confidence building measures”.
Bermúdez also remarked that the Central
American Armed Forces Conference should also
be involved in the issue because “it
interferes directly with a twenty year
process to ensure peace and distension in
the region, thus avoiding conflicts”.
He insisted that the military cooperation
requested by Nicaragua to Russia is contrary
to the letter and spirit of the Democratic
Security Framework Treaty for Central
America, subscribed in 1995.
“The activities of Nicaraguan president
Daniel Ortega generate mistrust when he is
involved in the rearming of the Sandinista
army that is in flagrant opposition to the
Central American Democratic Security treaty,
of which we are all members and was
specifically agreed to prevent conflicts”,
said Bermudez.
“Latinamerica needs development investments
not an arms race”.
According to figures presented by Loaiza
Brazil has most invested in military
hardware with 27.5 billion US dollars
equivalent to 3.44% of GDP, and a 50%
increase since President Lula da Silva took
office.
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