Damn. This is really sad.
Well said, Jacob...def becoming an embarrassment (and danger) to the whole region and a discredit to the better points of socialism.
I can tell you from being there a couple weeks ago, that Chavez is widely hated in Colombia and I can only assume this hatred will grow stronger if this continues to escalate. It's basically accepted as fact that he funds the FARC--a movement and an organization that has lost literally all of its sympathy from the Colombian people.
The accusation of a dirty bomb brings this FARC assassination in Ecuador to a whole new level.
Most of all, it sucks for the amazing people of Colombia. Headlines about dirty bombs and escalating regional conflicts will only continue to hurt their tourism industry, which has SO much potential.
Chalk another one up for the reckless asshole leaders of the world...
From the middle of this mess I can tell you that things are pretty interesting here. Reyes was assasinated in Ecuadorian territory - there is no disputing this...one thing to remember is how flimsy 1 mile in deep jungle can actually be. His camp was a well developed - as far as reports here say - base and was near to one of his favoured resting places. Chavez has been found to have funded the FARC with $300 million US for their war chest. Socialism this is not.
I put it bluntly to say that Colombia was euphoric where I am when the news came through of Reyes´demise. To knock off the No2 is quite something.
More things to consider - Chavez moves all his troops to the border and says that colombia will suffer the might of his armed forces if they try anything similar on venezuelan soil. The venezuelan president appears to have forgotten the small incident of the kidnapping of Simon Trinidad (now in a US prison) from venezuelan soil. A conflict between the two nations is not only unthinkable it is unwinnable for either side. Chavez has numbers and weaponry and Colombia has an effective and well practiced military (not to mention open US backing), they have after all been at war for 40 years.
Other elements. Ecuador´s Rafael Correa stood up and made a very strong speech. I believe he is well within his rights to do so. But there is more to this than the rampant propaganda from both sides and there are more prrofs coming to the fore of Ecuadorian involvement with the FARC. Now, I don´t know how much of this to believe. What I do know is that when the Ecuadorian president stands up and says that his forces have had significant successes against the FARC in their territory, why have we only just heard of it now?
For certain, Colombia´s call to have Chavez sent up for aiding an international terrorist group will sit more pleasantly with the government´s of europe and north america than the venezuelan premier´s calls to isolate Colombia.
Intersting and worrying times
If you have time and want to get a good wrap on the current state of this, check out the live video from the emergency OAS meeting held today:
http://www.oas.org/OASpage/Live/OASlive_spa.asp
My basic thought is that Colombia obviously violated Ecuador's sovereignty and should at least admit to it in more than a passing apology. Ecuador's best bet would be to publicly denounce FARC and try to cooperate with Colombia. Chavez should stay out of this.
I imagine this is the basic consensus for many.
Should be interesting to see how it all plays out..
Thanks for the link, Keri...and the on-the-ground insight, Richard. Interesting and worrying times, indeed.
As the furore continues (and despite conflicting reports) - trade between Ven/Col and Col/Ecu appears to be at normal levels, the Colombian government has declared it will not be moving any forces to the border areas despite increased aggression by Venezuela and relative troop movements in Ecuador.
Perhaps now with all these soldiers in the area they can surround and capture the FARC bases in their territories?
One thing that continues to be batted around here in Colombia is "Why exactly does Chavez care so much that Ecuador's territory was abused?"
Sure, the two Premiers are allies but this must point to more.
The other thing I have noticed in a fair few years in the region and having worked in Ecuador is that March is demonstration season for the students. They hit the streets and given Ecuador's fractured and turbulent history the President is often deposed. What better for Correa than an incident of this magnitude to draw away from the ills of March....
We remain glued to our TVs to see the next move.
Wow, I would not care to utter the word Hugo Chavez to any of you, he seems to conjure up similar response as the simple word of Socialism.
Its very funny to me that people are questioned Hugo Chavez's motive when it was the Columbian army breaking international law and violating the sovereignty of a neighboring country.
Hugo, who has been instrumental in on going negotiations that have released hostages, continues to be the leading force in a peaceful resolution to the decade long struggle in Columbia. He was actually very close to having the highly publizied Ingrid Betancourt released when Columbia's argressive, illegal bombings killed the FARC's number 1 negotiator. He then, very publicly, supported his ally by moving his troops to the border.
In the weeks following this confrontation, Hugo Chavez has continued to persistently seek peaceful resolutions and on Sunday actually made a long open address to the FARC to turn finally give up their guerrilla army and free the hostages. It was a surprise, that a socialist government would tell a socialist struggle that it has lost its place, but he has officially stated that its time for them to give up.
Hugo Chavez probably changed his tune because he realized as long as the US is heavily involved in Columbian affairs, that his socialist government will be discredited because of a insurgent group in Columbia. Maybe it is time that people recognize that the Chavez regime is actually doing quite well?
Wow...I hadn't realized how much this topic had grown.
You make an interesting point, Jeff, in that perhaps we cast a cynical cloud over Venezuela. Maybe Chavez gave oil to America's poor, negotiated with FARC, and came to the aid of Ecuador's sovereignty entirely because he loves the world.
But let's not forget his unprovoked Anti-Bush sabre-rattling and a highly conspicuous bid to abolish presidential term limits (how convenient) that came long before his interest in saving Ecuador. Chavez isn't discredited by "an insurgent group in Columbia", he's discredited by his own words:
"The devil came here yesterday," Chavez said, referring to Bush, who addressed the world body during its annual meeting Tuesday. "And it smells of sulfur still today."
...
Chavez also blasted the United Nations, calling the General Assembly "merely a deliberative organ" that meets once a year.
I'm not a big fan of Bush or the U.N., but for a man whose so interested in peace...well...them's is fightin' w'rds. Sure, Bush may be the devil incarnate--but Bush will be gone in a year. Chavez has already placed "maximum 6 hour work day" alongside "abolishment of presidential term limits" in a constitutional referendum that was NARROWLY voted down last December. Suspicious?
That same referendum would've given him total control of the central bank, and redrew voting district (and former Rep. Tom Delay already showed us how you can control elections by redrawing voting districts) The same referendum would have given the president the power to declare a state of emergency, indefinitely.
Can you honestly say that these are the proposals of a man trying to build any kind of utopian socialism?
Let me go ahead and make a prediction--if he can't get those term limits abolished by 2012 (the end of his presidency), there will end up being some "neighbor dispute" that will require "the temporary suspension of future elections".
Remember...you heard it from me. 2012. ;)
Some good points you have.
I never imagined that Chavez is doing any of these things only because he loves the world, but one has to wonder if his system is not better than that of the USA. At least he does some pretty charitable things - when was the last time the US did anything that was not to become a one sided advantage?
The city of London just terminated a deal with Venezuela that had been in place for years. They were receiving discounted gas for their public transport system, allowing them to hold fares at a static rate, in exchange for providing consulting on city planning. A pretty good deal for both sides until the UK was pressured in to no longer supporting this socialist country...
I have just finished reading a wonderfully interesting story about the proposals that were narrowly voted down. I wonder why more thought isn't put into the fact that he may be redrawing the voting lines, but he is also competing with endless illegal US sponsored opposition. Now, I will not say that I believe this obviously non-mainstream media to be the soul version of the truth, but it is an excellent example of the differences between the news you read or see about Chavez in the USA Today, NEW York Times or CNN.
Please, take a look here - Dissident Voice
And I wouldn't talk to soon. If a bomb should fall in the USA or Iran before October, I would not be surprised to see a prolonged Dick and Bush stay in the old Oval Office...
I have said it before and I will say it again, I applaud Chavez for his social work in Venezuela and for his work in attempting to release the hostages and indeed succeeding in releasing some hostages.
This about face regarding the FARC is very interesting especially since he was, only a few months previously, calling for them to be taken off the list of terrorist organisations. I don't know what to think on this and am continuing to read up and talk to various parties about the situation.
Some contacts of mine from various scales on the political spectrum have mentioned the rifts within the FARC, the leadership of Cano, a possible return of FARC policy to kidnapping and others have stated that Raul Reyes' computer holds more info that can implicate the Venezuelan premier. Whatever the case there is a great deal going on behind the scenes that we don't know about and certainly last week's capture of a Venezuelan military officer bringing arms to the FARC threw some other issues up into the air.
Yes, Colombia invaded Ecuadorian territory and this is not on, but hardly a suprising act from the Uribe administration. All the same it is an act that deserves little mercy from the Ecuadorian people and President. They were right to kick up a stink.
Not to be some sort of conspiracy theorist, but, I wouldn't be suprised if shady negotiations are being held and the two opposed governments are working together on a compromise. Venezuela's economy is looking perilous, the Colombian government desperately wants the Free Trade agreement with North America, the FARC have taken some hits but are certainly not out for the count, and Venezuelan nationals are indeed questioning why so much of their oil money goes towards russian arms and to other places.
Couple this with this week's reports that state the Colombian government as having had communication with the guerrilla with regards to further hostage releases, I think we are on the cusp of further intrigue.
Joined: 01-06-07
Mr. McColl (ricardo_emp) is probably the foremost authority on any of this, but has anyone seen this sh*t?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7274038.stm
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is sending thousands of troops and tanks to the border with Colombia, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.
...
Mr Chavez said he was reacting to the "cowardly murder" of a leading Farc rebel by Colombian forces in a raid just inside Ecuador on Saturday.
Personally, I get the feeling that his disgust at the "cowardly murder" of a FARC rebel is an excuse; empty sabre-rattling intended to create conflict in the region and further vilify the U.S. (a supporter of the raids that "murdered" the FARC leader) in order to garner support for his unified socialist front.
This guy is beginning to seem like an embarrassment to the whole region and a discredit to the better points of socialism.