Clinton Defends Colombia Bases Accord Chavez Declared a Threat

[Joanne98]

Aug. 19 (Bloomberg) -- Secretary of State Hillary Clinton defended a military bases accord with Colombia as important cooperation in fighting drug trafficking, brushing aside criticism from Venezuela.

“This is a continuation of a partnership that we believe, and the Colombians believe, has helped to make life better for the people of Colombia,” Clinton said yesterday after meeting Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez at the State Department. “There’s nothing more than that.”

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said last week his country “feels threatened” by the bases plan.

The agreement facilitates U.S. access to three Colombian air force bases, located at Palanquero, Apiay and Malambo. The accord also permits access to two naval bases and two army installations, and other Colombian military facilities if mutually accepted. All these military sites will remain under Colombian control, the State Department said.

“It is certainly a bilateral agreement with very clear recognition of territorial integrity and sovereignty,” Clinton added. Bermudez concurred with that view, adding that the accord also adheres to “the principle of nonintervention.”

Clinton praised the Colombian leadership “for what they have done against a really ruthless enemy” of narcotics trafficking.

The U.S. and Colombia reached a provisional defense cooperation agreement on Aug. 14.

Venezuela Threat

Chavez said last month he would “freeze” relations with Colombia over its plans to allow the U.S. to use the bases. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will attend an Aug. 28 meeting of the 12-member Union of South American Nations in Bariloche, Argentina, to discuss the matter.

The agreement doesn’t permit the establishment of any U.S. base in Colombia. “It ensures continued U.S. access to specific agreed Colombian facilities in order to undertake mutually agreed upon activities within Colombia,” the State Department said.

Under the accord, the permitted level of U.S. military and civilian personnel wouldn’t change from levels set in 2004, the State Department said. The U.S. can send as many as 800 military personnel and 600 civilian contractors. The actual numbers in recent years have averaged half or less of those limits, according to a U.S. fact sheet.

The agreement “does not signal, anticipate, or authorize an increase in the presence of U.S. military or civilian personnel in Colombia,” the State Department said.

U.S. Investment

The U.S. is expected to invest more than $46 million in the seven bases in Colombia to patrol the Pacific waters for drug trafficking, according to General Freddy Padilla, head of Colombia’s armed forces. The bases will help replace facilities the U.S. had in Ecuador.

Continued>>.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aS6irJAbYKcU

They still aren't getting the message. OUT OF LATIN AMERICA! Why is that so hard to understand?

[ensho]

1. US decriming drugs would solve a lot of the problems and we wouldn't

need a military base anywhere.

Hillary needs to open her brain to decriming drugs

[marmar]

2. The United States will give any reason for sustaining the Military-Industrial Complex....

..... no matter how ridiculous the excuse.

[Daveparts still]

4. Plus

We are replacing one base in Ecuador with seven bases in Colombia for only $50 million dollars.

[IndianaGreen]

3. Her husband gave the world the genocidal Plan Colombia

but then, what could we expect from the man that couldn't keep his pants zipped while he denied gays the right to marriage.