Chávez warns Colombia not to allow U.S. base

[Judi Lynn]

Chávez warns Colombia not to allow U.S. base

The Associated Press
Thursday, May 15, 2008
CARACAS: President Hugo Chávez warned Colombia not to allow a U.S. military base on its border with Venezuela, saying he would regard such an act as "aggression."

Chávez said Wednesday that he would not let the U.S.-backed Colombian government establish an American military base in La Guajira, a region spanning northeastern Colombia and northwestern Venezuela.

The Venezuelan leader said that if Colombia allowed the base, his government would revive an old territorial conflict and claim the entire region.

"We will not allow the Colombian government to give La Guajira to the empire," Chávez said, referring to the United States in a speech before an auditorium of uniformed soldiers. "Colombia is launching a threat of war at us."

Chávez said Washington's top diplomat in Bogotá, Ambassador William Brownfield, recently suggested that a U.S. military base in Ecuador could be moved to La Guajira.

More:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/05/15/america/venez.php

[Judi Lynn]

1. Manta military base to Colombo-Venezuelan border?

~snip~
Manta military base to Colombo-Venezuelan border?

Upon assuming the Presidency of Ecuador in 2007, Rafael Correa stated that the US military base at Manta would not have its lease extended when it expires in 2009. The Manta base was established in Ecuador in 1998 under then president Jamil Mahuad.

The Manta base has been the subject of some controversy in recent weeks when suspicions pointed to the fact that the attack on the FARC camp on Ecuadorian territory was actually launched from Manta using US “smart bombs”. The attack was in collusion with the Colombian military whose Commander-in-Chief is President Álvaro Uribe.

Now we have the declarations of ex US Ambassador to Caracas, William Brownfield to consider. He was transferred to Bogotá from Caracas after failing to rally the Venezuelan opposition. Upon being asked about the Manta military base in Ecuador, which will be uprooted next year, Brownfield indicated that the base could be relocated on Colombian territory in La Guajira – on the Colombo-Venezuelan border. (See map below with La Guajira outlined in red)



Former US Ambassador to Caracas, now transferred to Bogota
indicated that the US AFB at Manta could be relocated at
La Guajira, on the Colombo-Venezuelan Border
Note that La Guajira borders with Venezuela’s resource-rich Zulia state where the old oligarchs have had a long history of trying to secede from Venezuela itself. After huge oil reserves were discovered in Zulia early last century, the US has always had a strong interest in this region of Venezuela. This goes all the way back to just before WWI.

Geopolitical chess board

At this point let’s review the geopolitical chessboard. Here are the pieces:

• US IV Fleet in the Caribbean after July 1st
  
  
• Secessionist rumblings in Zulia. State governor Manuel Rosales is a fierce opponent of President Chavez. He ran against President Chávez in the last presidential elections in 2006 and lost by a wide margin.
  
  
• Current hostile relationship between Colombia and Venezuela. President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia is Washington’s main ally in the region.
  
  
• US base to be established in La Guajira if we are to believe Ambassador Brownfield.
  
  
• The “laptops” will officially spill their secrets on Thursday May 15th and will no doubt be used to accuse Venezuela of “sponsoring terrorism”.
  
  
• Vast oil reserves and infrastructure to exploit them already set up in Zulia, which borders Colombia.
  
  
• World energy crisis looming with oil currently over US$120/barrel
  
  
• The US wants to destroy or at least weaken the Bolivarian Revolution as it spreads throughout the region, undermining US traditional influence in the "back yard".
  
  
• The main objective is to oust President Chavez.

http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_26706.shtml

http://axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_26706.shtml

[Mika]

2. For every action there is an opposite reaction.

The tide has turned. US imperialism is doomed in Latin America.

[JohnnyCougar]

3. Grrr....

I'm going to have to disagree with Hugo on this one. There's no need to provoke conflict. If the people of Colombia don't want a US base in that country, it's their responsibility to oppose it.

[magbana]

5. Sorry, Johnny Cougar, But I Have to Disagree . .

I don’t think Chavez is provoking anything -- he is defending his country. And, rightfully so. Colombia’s role in Latin America is much like Israel’s role in the Middle East – gathering intelligence on neighboring states and serving as the US’ agent provacateur as needed. In this context, putting a base on the Colombia-Venezuela border is a provocation and one of the many puzzle pieces that, when joined with others, point to an overthrow of the Venezuelan government. Chavez should continue to protest and do so loudly.

[Zorro]

4. Hugo the peacemaker

Guess it's OK for him to meddle in another country's affairs.

[Judi Lynn]

6. US base plans escalate Colombia -Venezuela border tensions

US base plans escalate Colombia -Venezuela border tensions
Submitted by Bill Weinberg on Sat, 05/17/2008 - 01:38.

Colombia's Defense Ministry assured that the US air base now housed at Manta, Ecuador, would not be relocated to the Colombian Caribbean coastal zone of La Guajira—hours after Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said Bogotá was "playing with fire," and that his country could revive claims to sovereignty over La Guajira if the plan went ahead.

Speaking to a meeting of police commanders in Bogotá May 15, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said this was his response "to the people who are trying to stir up a storm in a glass of water... I would say to those who are circulating this information, that they should inform themselves better, because it is not going to happen. I repeat, bases in Colombia is not going to happen."

Chávez said earlier that day: "This is a thing that we cannot accept. This, for example, is an explosive thing, because then we can say: When did the Venezuelan Guajira arrive {in Colombian hands}? All La Guajira was Venezuela. We never ceded this territory. This land was taken from us... Now, what does Colombia want? That we return to discussing this?"

"I accuse the government of Colombia of playing a perverse game to destabilize South America, not only Venezuela, but Ecuador and still other countries. This is very dangerous."

The US ambassador in Bogotá, William Brownfield, said April 11 that he had opened discussion with Colombia on the possibility of relocating the base there. No site has yet been named. (El Tiempo, Bogotá, May 15)

http://ww4report.com/node/5514