Colombia installs 3rd military base on its border with Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua

Colombia installs 3rd military base on its border with Venezuela
2007-07-24 10:09:02


BOGOTA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- The Colombian army installed its third military base with 1,000 troops on the border with Venezuela, the Colombian government said on Monday.

Governor of northeastern department Norte de Santander Luis Morelli said the base, the third to be established this year, will begin operations in October in the Catatumbo border region.

One brigade is based in Cucuta city and is already operating in Norte de Santander and a mobile base is patrolling across Ocana province.

Colombia and Venezuela share 2,219 km of border that is often illegally crossed by armed groups who extort, kidnap and smuggle drugs and gasoline.



Read more: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-07/24/content_6421766.htm

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Colombia offers U.S. an antidrug military base

Posted on Thu, Jul. 12, 2007
Colombia offers U.S. an antidrug military base
BY BILL FARIES AND HELEN MURPHY
Bloomberg News Service

Colombia has offered the U.S. government an alternative base for counter-drug surveillance flights if Ecuador evicts it from its largest South American military outpost, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

Colombia said it would accommodate U.S. planes and troops now based at Ecuador's Eloy Alfaro airfield in the northern city of Manta, the official said. Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, who says the base compromises his country's sovereignty, has pledged not to renew a 10-year lease that allows 500 U.S. troops and eight aircraft at Manta. The accord expires in 2009.

''This decision would increase the sense that Colombia is the outpost of greatest U.S. support in the region and that Uribe remains a strong ally,'' said Christopher Sabatini, policy director at the New York-based Council of the Americas. ''This would be met with a fair amount of popular support,'' Sabatini said by phone from Bolivia.
(snip)

Venezuela, which shares a 1,364-mile border with Colombia, isn't an option for a new base. Chávez first ended cooperation with U.S. counter-narcotics authorities in 2005, accusing them of maintaining ''secret bases'' in his country. Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said on May 9 that the U.S. government protects Latin American drug cartels.

More:
http://www.miamiherald.com/579/story/168372.html

[IndianaGreen]

14. As most of us know, the phony War on Drugs is a neoliberal war on people

Got to keep those restless natives under control.

Unfortunately, the oppression has a bipartisan flavour to it, after all, it was a Clinton that gave birth to Plan Colombia.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

2. Shades of....

Honduras.

I wonder how long it is before the new American-backed "contras" take up residence on those bases.

[EFerrari]

3. No kidding. And there were camps on those bases where

families of impressed "contras" were more or less held hostage.

[David__77]

6. Venezuela would crush that attempt.

I have no doubt that the state of Colombia would be totally smashed by internal and external forces were it to attempt to subvert Venezuela in that manner. Venezuela is readying its self-defense capacity precisely to prevent such aggression. Hopefully it serves as a deterrent.

[happyslug]

12. Through Chavez is Strengthening his Military, the bets rights now is on Columbia

Chavez has avoided in the past, the waste most military spending becomes, but in recent years he has increased military spending. He has purchased AKs and Jets from Russia to replace his F-16s fighters, for which he is having a hard time getting parts. From what I have heard his he has NOT received his Migs yet, but his pilots are being trained in Russia to fly them and his mechanics are in Russia learning to repair them. The AKs are to replace his old FAL rifles AND to strengthen his people's militia. The problem is all of this is in the Future, right now Columbia has the ability to take over Venezuela. I do NOT think Columbia can hold it, but they can take it (as the US took Iraq, but like the US in Iraq, Columbia will NOT be able to hold on to Venezuela as the people slowly revolt against it and whatever puppet government that Colombia installs).

One does NOT take something unless one can hold it, Columbia can NOT hold Venezuela and that being the case if it was up to Columbia they will not attack. Bush, on the other hand, may force Columbia to attack to further Bush's goals. Bush will fail even more than the Columbia, but unlike Columbia he is stupid enough to try.

[Bacchus39]

13. yes but baseless speculation is fun

n/t

[Vidar]

4. Damn Hugo Chavez. Now look what he made the peace -loving

Columbians do.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Judi Lynn]

7. Here's one I don't think a lot of Americans have heard!

From Oil Field to Border Military Base

Is the US military transforming a Colombian oil facility into a fortress intended for launching attacks against Venezuela?, asks Colombian union leader Oscar Cañas. Cañas says that not only are there runways for military planes in Caño Limón but also tanks, artillery, reconnaissance planes, a strong Colombian military contingent, and a group of U.S. marines.

21.11.2004 Not only oil springs out of Caño Limón, but also serious labor problems, and even geopolitical uneasiness. Oscar Cañas Fajardo, an industrial relations technician for the oil industry and advisor of the CUT trade union federation, warns over rapidly increasing military presence in the Colombian side of the Arauca river, with the pretext of protecting the oil pipelines (from Caño Limón) against continual sabotage.

Cañas assures that there are uniformed marines from the U.S. army, as well as war equipment, just a few kilometers from our borders; and accuses the transnational Occidental de Colombia Inc., a transnational oil company, of promoting a labor conflict at all costs with the intention of reducing the number of unionized workers on the payroll.

“Occidental de Colombia intends to apply the same plan recently carried out by Ecopetrol, that is, promoting an artificial conflict with its employees, with the purpose of reducing the number of unionized workers on the payroll.”
Cañas comments that the oil industry labor union USO presented a set of petitions which, more than just a project of collective contracting “is a list of social benefits that represents less than 0.8% of their earnings. And this company is not really interested in discussing these issues. Its intention is to go beyond that.”

More:
http://www.anncol.org/uk/site/doc.php?id=193



Caño Limón pipeline

[Bacchus39]

9. the answer is big resounding NO!!!!

Colombia, with an on going civil war, narcotraffickers, and paramilitaries will NOT invade Venezuela.

[conspirator]

8. Chavez was right: better prepare for guerilla warfare in advance n/t

[Judi Lynn]

10. Info. on the Cano-Limon base:

~snip~
The main oil field in Arauca is at Cano-Limon, run by California-based Occidental Petroleum in a joint partnership with the Colombia state company Ecopetrol. Many of the 800 U.S. military advisors in Colombia are assigned to Arauca, and since last year they have been overseeing a new Colombian army unit specially created to police Cano-Limon against guerilla attack. This project, which Occidental lobbied for heavily, marks a departure from the erstwhile U.S. policy of only assisting ostensible narcotics enforcement operations in Colombia. As the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA) noted in a report last October: "In early 2003, US personnel embarked on their first major non-drug initiative, a plan to help Colombia's army protect an oil pipeline and re-take territory in the conflictive department of Arauca, near the Venezuelan border." Over this same period, Humanidad Vigente has reported a huge upsurge in paramilitary activity in Arauca.

Now, a leader of Colombia's oil workers union claims that the U.S. military is actually transforming Cano-Limon into a base intended for launching attacks against Venezuela. Oscar Canas Fajardo, advisor to Colombia's Central Workers Union, or CUT, speaking with Venezuelan journalist Alfredo Carquez Saavedra of Quantum magazine in November, said: "There is a military build-up going on in Cano-Limon with the excuse of protecting the oil pipelines against constant sabotage explosions... They are transforming the Cano-Limon facilities into a small military fort." He claims U.S. advisors and military surveillance planes are now based at the oil field. Noting proximity to the border and recent reports of Colombian paramilitary attacks on the Venezuelan side of the line, he asks rhetorically, "Who is to guarantee that all this not being used against Venezuela?

Axis of Propaganda

U.S. training of Colombian military personnel is rapidly escalating. According to the WOLA report, the U.S. trained 12,947 Colombian troops in 2003--more than the total 12,930 for all Latin America in 1999. (The total for Latin America in '03 was 22,855.) And Washington is launching a major propaganda push against Venezuela at the moment.
(snip/...)

http://www.ww4report.com/colombiavenezuelabigoil

[Judi Lynn]

11. Colombia's (Para)military (ghastly, sadistic acts)

Colombia's (Para)military
by Fernando Garavito
May 03, 2004

Palenque/Lord of the Flies
On the 27 of February, 1997, the people of Bijao del Cacarica, a population no longer found in Northeastern Colombia, were invited to a soccer match.
(snip)

Once the teams were on the field, the referee sounded his whistle. Each team took up positions on the field. Then a helper brought a large bag to the centre of the field, emptying its contents at a point equidistant from the two forwards who would start the game with the initial kickoff. The audience cried out in horror. The soccer ball was the head of Marino Lopez, one of their friends.

For long minutes the only sound heard by the inhabitants was the cracking of the players' feet on the man's destroyed skull. In the oppressive sun of that unending morning, the paramilitary team past the defense of its opponent and scored twice. After the second goal the captain announced that the soccer ball would no longer serve, and so the game would have to end.

The members of the Army team had to follow. They didn't like to lose, but the game had been clean. The forward, who had come close to scoring twice, apologized to his companions. "The ball was terrible", he said. "Hopefully next time they will inflate it properly before the game."

Next, the players hugged and congratulated each other and went off to get drunk at the store in town. "The town is now free of those gangsters," said the chief of the paramilitaries. Everyone applauded.

The above alone would be quite adequate for the script of a horror movie. But it is just a small part of what happened in Bijao.

"On February 27 I was there in Bijao", a witness told 'Justicia y Paz' (3). "A group of paramilitaries arrived, along with a soldier from the army, at around 9am. Marino Lopez told me: 'I'm afraid, I'm not sure whether I should go to Turbo'. The paramilitaries and army soldiers surrounded the entire village. The people had already left, some up the mountain, others to La Tapa. They brought us all together and threatened as. They told Marino to get some coconuts. He was afraid, and we told them 'let's go'. Marino told them 'you gave us three days', and one of them said 'you are leaving today'. Two of the army soldiers took Marino. After he got them the coconuts, he put on his boots and sweater, and they asked him for his documents. One of them said: 'Now we want your identification, guerrilla. You can pick it up from your mom.' And they accused him of being a guerrilla. He told them 'You know I am not a guerrilla'. They insulted him, beat him. One of the criminals took a machete and cut him. Marino tried to flee, running into river, but they said: 'if you flee it will be worse.' He returned, extending his left arm out of the water. One of the paramilitaries cut his head off with the machete. Then they cut his arms, then they cut his legs off at the knees. And they began to play soccer with his head. We all saw it. There is nothing else to say. It's all said. They are damned, with no faith, no morals. It was all gray, the soul, the sky, the earth. It was all silent. It was all terror. Bombardment of our bodies and souls. Death turned into a game."

This was the beginning of the year of terror that the region of Cacarica lived in 1997. On April 4, according to testimonies, a commando unit of military and paramilitary soldiers cantoned in Apartado ripped open the stomach of Daniel Pino in front of international observers who had arrived days earlier to gather evidence on previous human rights violations in the area. The campesino died after an hour of agony, during which no one could help him, trying to put his intestines back into his body.

On May 28 of the same year, army soldiers and paramilitaries (I apologize in advance, I will be repeating this phrase, "army soldiers and paramilitaries", as many times as is necessary) removed the scalp of Edilberto Jimenez, from Pavarando, and wandered around town with the head covered with flies, and destroyed his body in front of his parents' house. On June 15, in Bella Vista, Bojaya, army soldiers and paramilitaries beheaded Wilmer Mena and cut his arms off. On November 26, army soldiers and paramilitaries took Heriberto Areiza and Ricaurte Monroy, from La Balsita, out of their homes, gouged out their eyes, and filled the eye sockets with acid.

More:
https://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=15&ItemID=5455

[Judi Lynn]

15. Colombia Denies Talks With US Over Military Base

Colombia Denies Talks With US Over Military Base

Colombia's defense minister on Wednesday denied speculation that Colombia had offered to install an air base for the Pentagon.

Reuters Colombia's defense minister on Wednesday denied speculation that Colombia had offered to install an air base for the Pentagon but said it might boost U.S. landing rights on its territory to fight drug trafficking.
"Neither have we asked for the installation of a (military) base, nor have we offered it to them," Minister Juan Manuel Santos told reporters during a trip to Washington.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, a fierce critic of the United States, has refused to extend the Pentagon's lease on the Manta air base used by the United States to battle drug traffickers in South America.

Media reports in Bogota, quoting defense sources, have said that Colombia, the world's top cocaine producer, could allow the installation of a U.S. base if Ecuador denied the extension.

U.S. officials have told Reuters further negotiations with Ecuador might be possible, noting that a possible deal might allow the U.S. military to land but not operate fixed facilities at Manta.

They also said Colombia and Peru have offered to discuss alternate sites for the Pentagon to use in counternarcotics operations.

More:
http://www.javno.com/en/world/clanak.php?id=65199

&w=395">~~~~ click for photo ~~~~



Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos



Same guy, with Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Peter Pace.

Go half way down the page, click on thumbnail for huge photo
as Pace "has speaks" with Santos:
http://www.defenselink.mil/homepagephotos/homepagephotos.aspx?month=200701