Chavez: Colombia Has Become The Israel Of Latin America

[Purveyor]

By The Associated Press

Venezeuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered tanks and thousands of troops on Sunday to the border with Colombia, accusing it of pushing South America to the brink of war and likening it to Israel for its U.S.-backed attacks on militants. Chavez called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe a criminal and branded his government a terrorist state, over the killing of a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.

"The Colombian government has become the Israel of Latin America," an agitated Chavez said, reiterating his criticism of the Israel Defense Forces' strikes on Palestinian militants.

"We aren't going to permit Colombia to become the Israel of these lands. ... Uribe, we aren't going to permit you."

Denouncing Colombia's slaying of the rebel commander in a cross-border raid into Ecuador, Chavez said Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border. He ordered Venezuela's embassy in Bogota closed.

"We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master ... to come divide us," Chavez said on his weekly TV and radio program.

In protest, Ecuador withdrew its ambassador from Bogota, ordered Colombia's top diplomat expelled and ordered the mobilization of troops to the border with Colombia.

---EOE---

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/960284.html

[rockymountaindem]

1. Chavez *and* Israel... a twofer

:popcorn:

[northzax]

2. so use some of your new Russian toys

and secure your border. The regime in Colombia is not particularly pleasant, true, but you can hardly blame them for striking at armed groups that use other countries, uninhibited, to stage violence. If there was an anti-Chavez militant group hanging out in Guyana and striking venezuela, you think chavez would look the other way?

[Turbineguy]

3. Columbia decides US policy?

Israel may not like that!