issues in what U.S. military planners call the "Southern Cone" (southern South America). It is particularly important right now because of a Bush-funded and organized plot by white racists in gas-rich Bolivia's eastern provinces, to secede from the national government of Evo Morales (the first indigenous president of Bolivia--a largely indigenous country), and take the country's gas (and some oil) reserves with them; i.e., form fascist mini-states in control of the resources, to deny benefit of those resources to the poor majority. Typical dirty rotten Bushite scheme. They can't win elections in South America (not for lack of trying--millions of our tax dollars poured into rightwing groups), and they can't pull off successful coups and installations of fascist dictators.* So their plan now is to split South American countries up (similar plots in Venezuela and Ecuador), and create fascist mini-states where the elite gets richer by selling the country's resources to multinationals.
But there have been at least two monkey wrenches in this dirty rotten scheme in Bolivia. One, Brazil and Argentina--Bolivia's chief gas consumers--announced that they would not trade with any secessionist Bolivian states. The white racists might steal the country's gas reserves (by seceding), but who are they going to sell the gas to? Bolivia is land-locked. The Morales government has negotiated port access with Chile**, and, although Chile needs gas, and although the white racists
might have feasible physical access to the Iquique, Chile, port--I can't quite tell from various maps--it is not likely that Chile's leftist government will recognize or trade with secessionist (fascist) Bolivian states. And Uruguay's gas find will make it even less likely that Chile would do so.
Two, Paraguay meanwhile elected a leftist as president, ending 60 years of rightwing (and Bush-friendly) rule; he (Fernando Lugo) wants the U.S. military out of his country, and is not likely to cooperate with U.S./Bush dirty rotten schemes against his neighbor, Bolivia, and the Morales government (his policies are kin to Morales and the Bolivarians). Paraguay doesn't have gas or oil, but it does have water--its major exports are hydroelectric power and soy. But Paraguay is also strategically placed and would likely have been a staging area for U.S./Bush ops into Bolivia (Paraguay is adjacent to the main secessionist province, Santa Cruz).
As I have often noted, Donald Rumsfeld--in a WaPo op-ed only six months ago***--urged "swift action" by the U.S. in support of "friends and allies" in South America. The white racists in Bolivia's eastern provinces fit that bill (natural "friends and allies" of Bushites; Bushites have been supporting their plot to grab the gas/oil reserves). There are--as it turns out--similar Bushite schemes in Ecuador and Venezuela--rightwing groups in the oil rich provinces plotting to secede. In Venezuela, most of the oil is in Zulia province, which is adjacent to Colombia ($5.5 BILLION in U.S./Bush military aid to the fascist thugs running Colombia), and also to the Caribbean, where the Bushites plan to have the 4th Fleet (nuclear) up and running by mid-summer (roaming off the coast of Venezuela and its chief oil state, Zulia, whose fascist leaders have ALREADY MET with Colombian authorities including Bush tool, Alvaro Uribe, to discuss this plot.)
Bolivia is a testing ground for the Bushite secessionist scheme. It is not going well, for the reasons stated above, but its does have the happy collateral damage--from the Bushites' point of view--of creating chaos, conflict, destabilization (Rumsfeld's M.O.). Uruguay's discovery of a very big gas reserve complicates this picture. Uruguay is not far from Bolivia. It is an importer of gas, currently (I'm not sure who from). And it has a leftist government--not likely to trade with fascist secessionists. But this gas discovery in Uruguay does make Bolivia (and its secessionists) yet more dependent on Brazil and Argentina, who have adamantly stated they will not recognize secessionist states and will not trade with them. Chile might be a bit more inclined to do so--their government is more centrist than left (and mixed on "free trade"/neoliberalism)--but is not likely to, given the unpalatable fascism and racism of the separatists.
There is one other possibility for secessionist trade--and that would be if Peru permits transit of the gas (into Peru, to Peruvian ports) (--there is a piece of the secessionist Bolivian provinces that borders Peru). I don't know if this is even feasible, physically. I don't think any infrastructure exists (not sure). But Peru is the only Bush-friendly government left in South America (besides Bush Cartel client state, Colombia). It is currently run by very corrupt "free traders," who are destroying Peru the way other South American countries were destroyed in the 1990s--dictation of economic policy by the U.S. (creation of an import-addicted, urban-living, rich elite who sell their country's resources, labor and sovereignty to multinationals, and militarization of the society by the U.S. "war on drugs"--i.e, war on the poor). However, Peru's "free trade" government is very unpopular and will likely lose to a leftist in the next election cycle (2010? 2011?). I tend to doubt that it would risk offending the already angry, and well-organized, indigenous-led opposition, by openly supporting the white racists in Bolivia. And Peru would be ostracized from the new leftist community of nations in South America, and all of its many benefits--including the South American "Common Market" that is being formed.
The Bolivia secessionist states really have little choice but to negotiate with the Morales government, which is backed by almost every country on the continent, including gas consumers Brazil and Argentina. They have no way to market the gas, and almost no one to market it
to. With nearby Uruguay's gas find, one more possibility has been eliminated (in the unlikely event they could have negotiated with the leftist Uruguayan government, when Uruguay was in need of gas).
The SOLIDARITY of the all the new leftist governments of South America is really having big impacts--politically, economically, socially. This solidarity--and its common goals, social justice and regional independence from the U.S.--has its basis in TRANSPARENT elections--and the consequent election of REAL representatives of the people--something we need to do here as well. Democracy is the strongest medicine against Bushite/global corporate predator evil.
-----
*See what Venezuelans thought of U.S./Bush coup attempts: "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised," available at YouTube and at www.axisoflogic.com
**
"Chile seeks ways to improve Bolivia's sea access"Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:18pm EDT
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1934127820080619?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0***
"The Smart Way to Beat Tyrants Like Chávez," by Donald Rumsfeld, 12/1/07http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/11/30/AR2007113001800.html 
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