Planned U.S.
Military Bases In
Colombia Increases Regional Tension
A U.S. deal on
military bases in Colombia is pitting Bogota
against many neighboring countries, which
feared the bases would threaten their
national security and heighten regional
tension.
Unasur leaders concerned over U.S.-Colombia
military agreement
Venezuela, which borders Colombia to the
north, is the most vehement opponent of the
plan. Its president Hugo Chavez on Tuesday
instructed the foreign ministry to get
prepared to sever ties with Bogota.
Bolivian President Evo Morales proposed
Wednesday that South Americans vote in a
continent-wide referendum on the issue.
Others,including Uruguay, Ecuador, Argentina
and Brazil supported the Union of South
American Nations (Unasur) to intervene in
the case.
The Unasur has decided to meet on Friday in
Argentina to discuss the issue.
Chavez said on Tuesday there is no
possibility of repairing ties with the
Colombian government and told Foreign
Minister Nicolas Maduro to "begin preparing
for the rupture with Colombia."
Chavez has frozen diplomatic ties with
Colombia on July 28 after the deal ensuring
Washington's access to at least seven
Colombian bases by the year 2019. In return,
Bogota will get some 5 billion U.S. dollars
in aid.
Venezuela began last week establishing 70
"peace bases" on its border with Colombia,
and their construction would be finished
around beginning of next month.
"Each Venezuelan has to be a soldier to
defend Venezuela," Francisco Arias Cardenas,
Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister, told a
press conference, saying that Venezuela was
seeking to take creative initiatives to
prevent conflicts.
There are reports that Chavez will buy tanks
when he visits Russia in September. "This
trip has been planned since the beginning of
the year, but now we have much more
important reasons to step up cooperation,"
Chavez was quoted as saying.
Venezuela also decided to end an agreement
to provide fuel to Colombia. Venezuela's
Energy and Petroleum Minister, Rafael
Ramirez, said they were implementing
rigorous security measures to prevent fuel
contraband to Colombia.
Venezuela is not alone in being upset by the
deal. "If the Colombian president wants his
bases to be used, I say I want a referendum
in South America so the people of Bolivia,
Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina
-- all 12 countries -- can decide," said
Bolivia's Morales.
Ecuador's national assembly passed a
resolution Tuesday saying the establishment
of U.S. military bases in Colombia would
undermine peace in the region.
Many urged the Unasur to intervene and
discuss the case with Washington. In a phone
conversation last Friday, Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told his
U.S. counterpart Barack Obama that a meeting
with the Unasur countries would help restore
the confidence across the region. Obama
replied that he would consider such a
meeting.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is expected
to attend the Unasur meeting scheduled for
Friday in southern Argentina to explain the
controversial agreement.
Uribe insists the agreement, which allows
the presence of 800 U.S. soldiers and 600
civilian contractors of the Pentagon or U.S.
security organizations for 10 years at
Colombian bases, is aimed at combating drug
trafficking and terrorism in South America.
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