Many Colombians support court's block of military pact with U.S.

[Judi Lynn]

Many Colombians support court's block of military pact with U.S.
16:37, August 19, 2010

Many Colombians Wednesday voiced their support of the Constitutional Court's ruling that said a controversial Colombia-U.S. military agreement was "unconstitutional."

The court Tuesday ruled that the agreement, which grants U.S. troops access to more Colombian military bases, was "unconstitutional," and ordered the Colombian Congress to review it.

Colombian Navy Commander Alvaro Echandia said he respected the decision made by the court.

"I am absolutely respectful, and I can't do anything but respect the law," he said. "So far we haven't enforced anything related to the new agreement, and the Navy hasn't built anything requested by the new agreement."

Meanwhile, Luis Guillermo Perez from the NGO Group of Attorneys argued the agreement was detrimental to the country and wouldn't benefit Colombians. Perez said the public hadn't been informed enough of the agreement, which allows foreign troops on their soil.

More:
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7110083.html

[CJvR]

1. IIRC

The court only objected to the manner of how the pact was decided, it should have gone through Congress, not the actual content so the court doesn't so much block it as insisting it is properly ratified.

[Peace Patriot]

2. Yeah, I think you are right. It will be ratified. The fascist thugs running Colombia

know where their boodle is coming from--$7 BILLION in U.S. military aid, and "free trade for the rich" protected by the U.S. military. They've used the U.S. "war on drugs" to kill thousands of trade unionists and other community organizers and political leftists, and to drive some 5 MILLION peasant farmers off their lands, giving the land to the RICH, BIG, PROTECTED drug cartels, and to Monsanto, Chiquita, Occidental Petroleum, Exxon Mobil et al, and as a rewards to rightwing political operatives.

Democratic conditions do not exist in Colombia. State terror exists for the poor majority. So there is little chance that Colombians, most of whom DON'T WANT the U.S. military in their country, will be heard. I think what we may be seeing in this ruling in Colombia is the kind of democracy cosmetics that Hillary Clinton inflicted on Honduras--where rightwing death squads are still murdering leftist activists. Crossed T's and dotted I's--something that looks like democracy, that can be paraded as democracy--but that is, in truth, the opposite of democracy: rule by the rich elite, like we have here. Fascism. In a fascist state, the poor majority does not get proper representation. That is the whole point of the system. Colombia's legislature, which has been as corrupt as everything else in Colombia, won't likely defend their country's sovereignty against U.S. military occupation. They will, instead, cross the T's, dot the I's and collect their various paychecks.

I can hope otherwise--just as I can hope for the U.S. Congress to rid our health system of the insurance vultures. But when you look at the reality of the situation, there isn't a chance in hell that that could happen--until we have a democracy revolution here like they have been having in Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Nicaragua and other countries. And neither is the Colombian legislature going to act in the interests of their people as long as the U.S. is propping up a fascist state.

[CJvR]

3. Perhaps...

...but it also gives the new president a great bargaining chip. If there is a serious thought to reversing the confrontation policy of the previous administration then the courts decision is great! Now they can go to your neighbors and say "are you going to help us with NARC & co or are we going to have to ratify the US deal you hated?"