Yesterday Colombian troops acknowledged the biggest victory against the FARCs in decades. Unfortunately, to do so they had to act inside (in the borders) of Ecuator. Immediately the tragicomic president of Venezuela restarted his discourse pro-guerrillas and menaced Colombia with war. Meanwhile, Colombian army got evidence that Ecuatorian govnmt. also kept business with the terrorists.

You see... cocaine makes miracles in international relations.


The NY-Times presented a short article on the subject. But I guess that things will be hot in the region.

BBC also commented these events.

The subject appeared abundantly in Brazilian press:

• FSP: Ecuator
  
• Colombian authorities say they found indications of relationship between the FARCs and Ecuatorian Govnmt.
  
• O Estado de Sâo Paulo
  
• Globo.com
  

Mr. Chavez said:

"Nós não queremos guerra, mas não vamos permitir ao império (Estados Unidos) nem a seu cachorro, que é o presidente (da Colômbia, Álvaro) Uribe, que venham nos debilitar", disse Chávez.

Wich translates as:

"We don't want war, but we won't allow that neither the empire (US) or his dog, which is the president Uribe, succeeded in debilitating us", said Chavez.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: cb4(r2)3t0,

Yeah...people are freaking out...

So pugnacious.

But if he wants blood, there will be a deluge.

quote:

The U.S. would almost certainly come to Colombia's aid if oil-rich Venezuela launched an invasion. But Washington-based diplomats played down the brouhaha and said it might be no more than bluster from Chavez, an outspoken opponent of the U.S.

IMHO Chavez is "playing Galtieri". The last military president of Argentina, in the absence of a viable government platform, facing a huge economic crisis and with no popular support decided (with his staff) that the best way to keep government was creating international trouble. So he invaded the Falklands in the hope that British government would prefer negotiate than make war in the end of the world and he could satisfy Argentinian pride with Argentinian Malvinas.

He was completely wrong...

Chavez is facing the same problem: he is the king of the empty rethoric. He aligned himself to the dead and about to be dead leaders: Castro, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Kim Yong-il, Kadhafi et al. But this is not helping Venezuela to face real problems: inflation, infra structure, etc... and people starts to complain about how their jobs will stand in the future, why basic products disappear from the supermarkets, etc.

So, he thinks that making war against Colombia can be a way to extend his government and his policy.

His menaces against Colombia are completely unacceptable. In the first place, it would destroy Colombian economy and push the situation back to the 80ies when cocaine was the biggest issue of their exports. It would also contaminate all the region (Ecuador, Perú, Bolívia) and the biggest economies in the region (Brazil, Argentina and Chile) would have to prepare themselves to face guerrilla at their frontiers. Taken into consideration the proximity of Chavez and the Russian military industries, old programs related to the manufacture of nuclear artifacts would be restarted... If not for a better reason, it is easier, cheaper and cleaner to nuke them in the forests than to spend billions of dollars/euros in a tropical forest war. And something must be done to show to Rafael Correa and Evo Moralez that supporting terrorists ant traffickers is the shortest way to oblivion.

The FARCs trouble has gone too far. Like what happened to the Sendero Luminoso, it is necessary to put an end to it ASAP. And something must be done with states that support drug activities and justify traffic as a way of "destroying the imperialism" (bla...).

Just the thing to take the population's mind of the recently introduced food rationing. I remember when Venezuela could feed itself just fine.

End of the road, and then some. Feck, heavy sh1t. Some good waves down there. Sorry to be so blinkered; makes me feel bad.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Bictaker,

IF it weren't for all that Colombian coke in the 80's, Obama never would have had a mess to gain notoriety cleaning up in Chicago, and never would have made it this far in the presidential elections.

You could say, he built his career on it. Along with so many other American politicians...

You could say the entirety of the 80's was built on coke.

Black Monday was when they ran out, luckily, they called their dealers and got more by Tuesday.

The perverse thing in the cocaine business is that the owners are all white collars. Just like the blood diamonds: the people who dies cropping, extracting, refining and even distributing are the "expandable goods". The assets owners are bankers, politicians, "entrepreneurs".

When Fernandinho Beiramar evaded to Colombia, it was a bank owner who covered the expenses and "opened ways". As soon as the non concluded businesses were taken care, Fernandinho was recaptured and send back to a maximum security prison in Brazil. The bank owner went back to his activities as movie director.

Hollywood wouldn't exist without cocaine.

Bush has his dealers back....

quote:

Originally posted by cbarreto:
If not for a better reason, it is easier, cheaper and cleaner to nuke them in the forests than to spend billions of dollars/euros in a tropical forest war.

Amen. Don't we know it. Fighting communist guerrilas in a tropical jungle setting...sounds a little too familiar to us. Especially when they've know the terrain like the back of their hand. Even though we had the experience of the Malayan Emergency behind us.

Didn't stop us fighting Islamic guerrillas in a desert/urban setting, though.

Chaves may have overplayed his bluff.

It's funny to see you guys supporting a military strike by one government on another government's territory, and then deriding the victims for their bellicose reaction. But I suppose since the US thinks nothing of bombing other countries' territories with impugnity I shouldn't be surprised.

I don't really support anything. I think it is all scripted. Perhaps you've misinterpreted an element of sarcasm in some posts.

quote:

Originally posted by Boogerhead:
I don't really support anything. I think it is all scripted. Perhaps you've misinterpreted an element of sarcasm in some posts.

I always interpret your posts with an element of sarcasm.

quote:

Chaves may have overplayed his bluff.

It is interesting to see that the FARC have a stronghold in the Perijás mountains (34km from Colombian border) and satellites detected opium plantations all over the place.

Here is a Report United States Department of State
Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs of 2007 and news from "The Guardian"

quote:

Amen. Don't we know it. Fighting communist guerrilas in a tropical jungle setting...sounds a little too familiar to us.

Difference is that you fight them abroad. Things get worse when you have to fight them inside your country, in areas that are supposed to be natural reserves (ecologic reserves). Best thing to do is to wipe everybody out of the place. The alternative is to drop the forest, populate the area and create military infrastructure to secure the borders. I don't think this is acceptable in face of current global environment situation.

I know that it would be better in the "Comics" thread but...

the dispute is reportedly resolved