cibaeño75 previously said:

Talk turns to war as tensions mount between Colombia and Venezuela

BOGOTA: Colombia will seek help from the United Nations after neighbouring Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez told his military to prepare ''for war''.

''Faced with these threats of war … the Government of Colombia is weighing heading to the Organisation of American States and UN Security Council,'' said a statement from President Alvaro Uribe on Sunday.

''Colombia has not made nor will it make any bellicose move towards the international community [and] even less so towards fellow Latin American nations,'' the statement said.

''The only thing we are interested in is defeating terrorism related to drug trafficking, which has been so unfair to Colombians for so many years.''

The country stood ready for ''frank dialogue [and] achieving greater understanding''.

Regional tensions have made the countries increasingly fractious. In Mr Chavez's weekly radio and television broadcast, he urged his military leaders to prepare ''for war'' and for citizens to ''defend the homeland''.

''Let's not waste a day on our main aim: to prepare for war and to help the people prepare for war, because it is everyone's responsibility. Students, revolutionaries, workers, women: all are ready to defend this sacred homeland called Venezuela,'' he said, adding that the best way to avoid war ''is to prepare for it''.

Colombia has signed a controversial military agreement to let United States forces use seven military bases for anti-drug operations. Mr Chavez has repeatedly voiced deep fears of US encroachment in the region.

Bilateral trade, which in 2008 topped $US7 billion ($7.58 billion), has largely subsided, notably as tensions increased along the 2000-kilometre border.

Border crossings were cut completely last week after two Venezuelan National Guard members were murdered. The Vice-President and Defence Minister, Ramon Carrizales, said the pair were ''assassinated by paramilitary gangs intent on taking over'' the Tachira region on the border.

It was ''all part of the destabilisation plan that we have been talking about for some time,'' he said. However, he stopped short of blaming Colombia, even though paramilitary forces are active there.

Agence France-Presse

USADR previously said:

My bet is with the Colombian military. Although I wish this doesn't get to that point.

abc200 previously said:

US is setting up big bases in Colombia....
S.

HiHater previously said:

nothing will come of this.

This is just rhetoric, it will help him distract his people from noticing the the Sh*t spewing from his mouth.


Tarsky, ya like that one? See not all leftists want dictators. So you see economy and politics although hopelessly intertwined are not exactly the same. So although I support some of chavez initiatives the guy is ass-backwards crazy, and he destabilizes the region and his country a true leftist would never do that, thus he is a populist dictator not a leftist, calling this the bolivarian revolution is just his veil.

Blutarsky previously said:


hi Hat and he and his family are accumulating great wealth and yes the word is destabilizing his associates are some very unsavory fellow travelers