BREAKING: Venezuelan freezes diplomatic relations with Colombia, pulls its ambassador from Bogota

[rabs]

-- all economic treaties with Colombia to be reviewed

-- this is result of uribe and others blaming the Venezuelan armed forces of the alleged handing-over of weapons to the FARC

-- lowest ranking diplomat will be left in charge of the Ven. embassy in Bogota

-- warned that the next verbal or other accusation against Venezuela "we will break relations with Colombia. We are prepared for that."

-- Economic trade with Colombia is suspended. Imports from Colombia will be replaced by imports from Brazil.

-- said the Colombian government is "shameful" and run by the "most irresponsible (persons) that I have ever seen."

Full story on link below (Spanish)

TeleSUR _ Hace: 47 minutos
El presidente de Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, anunció este martes el congelamiento de las relaciones con Colombia, el retiro de su embajador de Bogotá y la revisión de los acuerdos económicos, como consecuencia de las acusaciones hechas por su homólogo, Álvaro Uribe, y otros altos funcionarios de su Ejecutivo, sobre una supuesta entrega de armamento del Ejército venezolano a las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC).

"Vamos a retirar al embajador y vamos a dejar al funcionario (diplomático) de más bajo cargo", reiteró Chávez, al tiempo que advirtió que la próxima declaración verbal o de otro tipo contra Venezuela "rompemos relaciones con Colombia. Estemos preparados para eso".

Asimismo, informó que "vamos a congelar las relaciones económicas y sustituir las importaciones que no son imprescindibles para nosotros, porque podemos obtenerlas de Brasil. Si es que Colombia cree que dependemos de esas exportaciones, están equivocados".

Encomendó al vicepresidente de la nación, Ramón Carrizález, de revisar todo las inversiones con Colombia. "Pudiéramos cerrar el gasoducto, reducir las importaciones mientras evaluamos el tema de la Embajada" de Colombia en Venezuela.

Añadió que "este gobierno da vergüenza, está dirigido por irresponsables de la más grande calaña que yo haya conocido. Esto es lamentable".

http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/54845-NN/venezuela-congela-relaciones-con-colombia-y-ordena-reitro-de-su-embajador/

[subsuelo]

1. It is a shame it has had to come to this

The regional unity Chavez dreams of is still a long ways off

[magbana]

2. Thanks, rabs. Glad to have the information.

[rabs]

3. You're welcome, kinda hard to keep up with everything today

Just logged on to see what was happening and keeping an eye on Honduras. Good on you for the report on the demonstration in D.C.

Listening to Radio Globo to see what is happening with the Zelaya family.

Wife and I were laughing that the Colombian foreign ministry will have to deal with the janitor at the Ven. embassy in Bogota. :rofl:

[Judi Lynn]

4. Uribe will gladly flush any good will established with Chavez in a heartbeat if it means more money,

more access to the U.S. They can pay him to do absolutely anything. He's been chasing closer relationship with the U.S./U.S. taxpayers' money from his first day in office.

[dipsydoodle]

5. BBC link for you.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8173709.stm

I'd already noticed you mentioned this in the other joke post with multiple entries from the "I'm delusional so lets all hate Venezuala Party" and wondered if you might have posted it here too.

:hi:

[rabs]

6. Colombian business leaders and opposition politicians in a dither

over Chavez's announcement yesterday freezing diplomatic and imports from Colombia.

At stake is:

Colombian exports to Venezuela in 2008 were worth US$ 7.3 bbbillion.
They were expected to reach $10 bbbillion this year.
Bogota today announced that Colombia would seek alternate markets in CentAm.
The Colombian Senate today called for an urgent session to discuss uribe's foreign policy.

--------------------

And yes, saw the marathon "debate" over the three anti-tank launchers over on LBN. It got me dizzy.

What was not mentioned (as far as I could discern) is that the FARC for almost 50 years have been acquiring weapons from anybody and anywhere they can get them. They have M-16, AK-47, Belgian GIL, Israeli UZis and probably weapons from a score of other countries.

So following the logic of the rocket launchers, the Colombian government should ask the U.S., the Russians, the Belgians, the Israelis etc. etc. how their weapons and ammunition for them wound up in the hands of the FARC. :rofl:

A :hi: back-atcha-ya

[Judi Lynn]

10. Great question, rabs. Someone needs to do that publicly when they have to answer. n/t

[Bacchus39]

7. Chavez tantrum #18,985 n/t

s

[subsuelo]

8. Tired of hearing someone speak up for the rights of indigenous people?

[Downwinder]

9. NO -- there are never enough voices.

[Bacchus39]

11. what??? Chavez is throwing a hissy fit because Colombia busted him

distributing weapons to the FARC. It should be Colombia the one breaking off relations.

[subsuelo]

12. That is a hideously dishonest statement

"Columbia busted him distributing weapons to the FARC"?

You can't possibly be serious? Not even the rightest of right-wingnuts on Fox News are making that charge (yet).

I assume you are referring to the recent story about the aging Swedish rocket launchers that were reported to have wound up in the hands of the FARC?

Are there documents of sale the rest of us aren't aware of? Photos of Chavez meeting and distributing them himself? A forthcoming confession that you and only you are privy to?

I know you're no fan of Chavez, but come on, at least make an attempt at being honest. There is no proof whatsoever that Chavez had anything to do with the FARC obtaining the three rocket launchers. None.

[Bacchus39]

13. yeah sure....anyway wouldn't the appropriate response be for Chavez to

cooperate with Colombia and determine the source of the weapons, and maybe ensure that weapons aren't passed to the FARC or paras or narcos. Hugo is just mad that Colombia revealed what is true. utterly childish behavior, but quite typical.

[subsuelo]

14. again, there's no proof Chavez had anything to do with those 3 aging rocket launchers

you got nothing

[rabs]

15. Brazil has offered to mediate the latest Ven./Colombia dispute

which means Itamaraty is taking the issue seriously. Not everyday that Brasilia offers to step into a bilateral dispute.

Braz. foreign minister said one of the conditions for the possible mediation was that Colombia had to be "absolutely transparent" on uribe's reasons for offering the indefinite use of Colombian military bases to the Pentagon.

[Judi Lynn]

16. Since Lula commands a lot of respect internationally he can do a lot of good here.

This is interesting. Uribe knows he'd better not try to jerk Lula around.

Thank you.