The Venezuela / Colombia Conflict

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Wed, 2010-07-28 22:30

epaulo13

Venezuela to Propose Multilateral Solution to Conflict with Colombia in Emergency UNASUR Summit

Wednesday, 28 July 2010 17:48

Source: Venezuelanalysis.com

At Venezuela’s request, an extraordinary meeting of the foreign relations ministers of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) will be held this Thursday in Ecuador to discuss Colombia’s most recent accusation that Venezuela tolerates the presence of Colombian guerrillas in its territory, which Venezuela interpreted as a possible provocation of war.

During a pro-peace march on Saturday in San Antonio del Tachira, a town on the Colombian border, Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said he would propose a multilateral solution to Colombia’s decades-old civil war. “Colombia’s war will not be resolved with more war. It will be resolved with a process of negotiation and a peace plan, and South America should construct that peace plan,” he declared.

The proposal is a response to Colombia, which summoned an extraordinary meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS) last Thursday and called for an international team of inspectors to verify whether the FARC and ELN rebel groups, which are classified as terrorists by Colombia and its chief ally, the United States, are present in Venezuela.

While the OAS is heavily influenced by the US and has been the platform for political attacks against Venezuela in recent years, the two-year-old UNASUR is made up of only South American countries, most of which have center-left and leftist governments that to some extent have resisted US imperialism on the continent.....

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2610--venezuela-...

Wed, 2010-07-28 22:47

epaulo13

The Latest Provocation of Colombia against Venezuela

By Jorge Martín - In Defence of Marxism, July 28th 2010

On Thursday, July 22, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez decided to put the border with Colombia on maximum military alert, after Colombian president Alvaro Uribe made accusations that Venezuela was harbouring FARC guerrillas and demanded an “international commission of enquiry”.

President Chávez also announced that Venezuela was breaking off diplomatic links with Colombia and gave Colombian diplomats 72 hours to leave the country.

The whole presentation of the Colombian ambassador the meeting of the OEA (Organization of American States) in Washington on Thursday was farcical. He presented pictures and satellite maps which were supposed to prove the presence of FARC and ELN guerrilla leaders in Venezuelan territory, as well as the existence of FARC and ELN camps inside Venezuela.

He claimed that these images had obtained from the computer of Raul Reyes, the FARC leader killed during an illegal incursion of Colombian troops in Ecuadorean territory in March 2008. Already at that time, a report from Interpol made it clear that no proper computer forensic methods had been used in handling the seized computer and that its contents had been changed between its seizure on March 1 and March 3 when its contents were made public. In other words, this “proof” is as good as the “proof” that there were Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq.....

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5529

Wed, 2010-07-28 22:58

epaulo13

The Latest Provocation of Colombia against Venezuela

By Jorge Martín - In Defence of Marxism, July 28th 2010

Defend the Venezuelan revolution!

Faced with this attack, Chavez responded correctly by putting the military in alert and by calling on the people to mobilize and remain in alert. He has also threatened to close the border and to cut off oil supply to the US if the conflict escalates into military action.

As we have already reported, the newly formed Bolivarian National Militia is a step towards the arming of the people to defend the revolution and an intervention force would be faced by an armed people. This initiative needs to be strengthened and widened, so that there are units of the Militia in every factory, in every quarter, every peasant community, to defend the revolution against capitalism and imperialism.

If the US were foolish enough to launch a military attack on Venezuela through the agency of Colombia, this could have revolutionary implications throughout the continent. We predict that the day after any such action there would be no US embassy left standing in the whole of Latin America.....

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5529

Sat, 2010-07-31 02:05

epaulo13

Venezuela Concerned about Colombia Aggression Intentions, UNASUR Concludes without Consensus

By Tamara Pearson – Venezuelanalysis.com

Merida, July 30th, 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – An extraordinary meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) yesterday, requested by Venezuela to address the developing tensions between it and Colombia, ended with only vague commitments to peace. Venezuelan government officials and movement leaders consider the moves by Colombia part of U.S aggression and have expressed concerns about the possibility of military action by Colombia.

UNASUR extraordinary meeting has ambiguous outcomes

After the Alvaro Uribe government of Colombia went to the Organisation of American States (OAS) last week to complain about Venezuela’s alleged protection of Colombian guerrillas within its borders, Venezuela requested a meeting of UNASUR to discuss what it felt were aggressions by Colombia.

UNASUR is a recently formed regional integration forum which often addresses sensitive regional issues, and which, unlike the OAS, does not involve the United States.

The extraordinary meeting yesterday involved foreign ministers and vice ministers from Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Perú, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Paraguay. Only Guayana sent its apologies. The meeting took place in Quito, Ecuador, lasted five hours, and was closed to the press.

Ricardo Patino, the Ecuadorian Foreign Minister, and filling in for Rafael Correa as temporary UNASUR president, said in a press conference after the meeting that it had agreed to a “commitment to the construction of conditions for peace, harmony, and that cooperation in the region is maintained.”....

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5540

Mon, 2010-08-02 01:04

epaulo13

Venezuela: LA unionists pledge support against threats
Sunday, August 1, 2010
By Federico Fuentes

Trade unionists from more than 30 countries met in Caracas for the Third Union Encounter of Our Americas also expressed their support for Venezuela and willingness to mobilise to stop any possible aggression.

“In the face of any attempt by Colombia or any other country, to obstruct the revolution [in Venezuela], the working class will come out bravely to defend the process and the country”, said Marcela Maspero, a national coordinator of National Union of Workers (UNT) in Venezuela.

Victor Mendibil, from Unionists of Latin America and the Caribbean and the Argentine Workers Central (CTA) said : “Once again, the Colombian government is attacking the progressive government of Venezuela.”

Alfonso Velasquez of the Unified Colombian Workers Central (CUT) also supported Venezuela against Colombian government threats.

Workers from the Venezuelan state-owned oil company, PDVSA, also mobilised in support of the government’s decision to break ties with Colombia, saying that the US would not receive a drop of oil if it dared attack Venezuela.....

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/45015

Fri, 2010-08-06 01:03

epaulo13

Mercosur Summit Discusses Venezuela-Colombia Situation

By Tamara Pearson - Venezuelanalysis.com

Merida, August 5th, 2010 (Venezuelanalysis.com) – The 39th president’s summit of the Common Market of the South (Mercosur) that took place on Tuesday in Argentina, considered the discussions by the extraordinary meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) last week regarding the tense situation between Colombia and Venezuela. Also, after years of discussion, it approved joint customs regulations.

Mercosur is a trade bloc consisting of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, with Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela as associate members.

The Colombian government went to the Organisation of American States (OAS) to accuse Venezuela of supposedly “protecting” guerrillas, whereupon Venezuela requested a meeting of UNASUR to discuss the situation. UNASUR agreed on general notions of peace but failed to reach concrete consensus and called for a presidential Summit of UNASUR members.

On Tuesday, Mercosur formally decided to “take note” of the report issued by the foreign ministers about the UNASUR meeting on 29 July, welcomed the “effort and commitment” put in by UNASUR, and supported the ministers’ resolution to quickly organise an extraordinary meeting of the heads of state of the regional organisation.....

http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5553

Fri, 2010-08-06 18:55

Protrucio

It will take me a little time to read through your commentaries and links. I am very interested in the situation between Venezuela and Columbia. Canada has signed a trade deal with Columbia. I don't think Canada should have.

Sat, 2010-08-07 02:18

George Victor

Protrucio wrote:

It will take me a little time to read through your commentaries and links. I am very interested in the situation between Venezuela and Columbia. Canada has signed a trade deal with Columbia. I don't think Canada should have.

But how else could Canadian mining and oil firms (notice their dominance on Bay Street) have found such inviting new ground for investment? Just because Colombia encourages and abets the killing off of union leadership does not mean that Steve's actions are not born in a Christian heart.

The attack on Venezuela is not far off, eh?

Sat, 2010-08-07 05:04

epaulo13

Colombia Kicks Over the Negotiating Table

By Bernardo Alvarez - Foreign Policy, August 6th 2010

When Luis Alfonso Hoyos walked into a regional meeting on Thursday, July 22, he would have done well to remember that -- ever since U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell presented the alleged evidence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq before the U.N. Security Council in 2003 -- the standards for dramatic "intelligence" revelations have gone up. Simply showing a few maps and pictures doesn't cut it anymore, much less when the implications are as serious as what Hoyos was arguing: that Venezuela has been supporting Colombian insurgent groups.

At its face value, Colombia's supposed "evidence" was laughable, just as it has been on previous occasions when similar accusations have been made. Hoyos showed pictures of FARC insurgents, claiming that they were in camps deep in Venezuelan territory. The proof? A stray Venezuelan flag and a bottle of Venezuelan beer -- hardly incontrovertible geographic evidence.....

http://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/5555

Sat, 2010-08-07 12:29

#10

Protrucio

Seems like the NAFTA TRADE AGREEMENT as of old is a consortium organized to exploit and misappropriate South American resources. Who can content with the very real possiblitity of drone warefare....in a context where nuclear disarmament seems like a sham effort to abort global warfare when the current medium of militaty intervention is unmaned drones.

In a 29-page report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council, special representative Philip Alston argues that the distance from combat inherent in drone warfare allows for a dangerous desensitization to killing that could be equated with video games.

“Because operators are based thousands of miles away from the battlefield, and undertake operations entirely through computer screens and remote audio-feed, there is a risk of developing a ‘Playstation’ mentality to killing,” he said in the report.

Nuclear disamament is intended to keep nuclear weapons out of the hands of potential terrorists "they" say....meanwhile drone warfare escalates: http://www.theinductive.com/blog/2010/3/4/justified-homicide-drone-warfa...

So could drone warfare be deployed via Columbia???? Could there be American military bases in Columbia?

. Published on Friday, August 7, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

Seven New US Military Bases in Colombia http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/08/07-6

Canada Backs Colombia's Growing Embrace of US Military: http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/08/06/USMilitaryInColumbia/

Sun, 2010-08-08 08:54

#11

Hoodeet

PLEASE! Could people show some respect for a country's name? It's COLOMBIA with an O not a U.

I don't care how crappy your everyday spelling is otherwise (except it does show a low level of respect for the English language over all), but if you claim to be sympathetic to Colombia you should learn the proper spelling of the name. ColUmbia simply projects thoughtlessness.

Another beef, while I'm at it: Would everyone also please get the geographical nomenclature straight:

South America is just that - countries south of Panama.

It is part of LATIN America, which also includes North America (Mexico) and Central America.

So saying "South and Latin America" is wrong.

As for the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, it is sometimes included in Latin America, sometimes in the Caribbean region. Equally correct to consider the D.R., Cuba (and Puerto Rico) Caribbean and Latin American. (However, geographers please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Done my Sunday morning rant (years building). Thanks for listening.

Sun, 2010-08-08 16:49

#12

NDPP

Canada Backs Colombia's Growing Embrace of US Military

http://thetyee.ca/News/2010/08/06/USMilitaryInColombia/

"The Defense Cooperation Agreement that Colombia signed with the US will see American troops take up permanent residence at 7 bases around Colombia,

and Palenquero--already the largest airbase in Colombia is its centrefold; once the $46 million in expansion of the base is complete, American planes will be in striking range of all South America..

And Canada? Our government supports the agreement too..."

Sun, 2010-08-08 20:07

#13

Protrucio

Possibly a little bit strident hoodeet - appreciate the correction. Thank you! Too late for me to edit. Even The TYEE has made the same mistake in their link. Oh for an editor like you.

stri·dent/ˈstrīdnt/Adjective
1. Loud and harsh; grating.

2. Presenting a point of view, esp. a controversial one, in an excessively and unpleasantly forceful way.