Headline of the Week Weak
Filed under: Headline of the Week > Politik
"South America on brink of war"
Oh boy! CLICK HERE to read the alarming article accompanying this headline.
South America was on the brink of war yesterday as Venezuela and Ecuador amassed troops on the Colombian border in response to the killing of a Marxist rebel leader.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to join the rebels in a war to overthrow hard-line Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a key ally of the United States, deploying tanks, fighter jets and thousands of troops along the Colombian border.
Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa also ordered troops to the border, expelled Colombia's ambassador and recalled its ambassador to Bogota, but left its embassy open. Venezuela closed its embassy in Colombia and ordered all diplomats home.
A weekend battle sparked the mobilization, in which Colombian forces killed a top leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a camp in Ecuador.
"The obsessive conduct of those who prize the military option sharpens the armed conflict with grave possible consequences" read a statement from Venezuela's Foreign Ministry after the weekend killing of FARC's second in command, Raul Reyes.
On his weekly Sunday talk show "Hello President," Mr. Chavez accused Colombia of "invading" Ecuador, and compared the action to Israeli attacks against Palestinians.
"The Colombian government has become the Israel of Latin America," Mr. Chavez said. He called Colombia a "terrorist" state and its president, Mr. Uribe, a criminal; "Dracula's fangs are covered in blood."
Mr. Correa said Colombia deliberately carried out the strike beyond its borders. "There is no justification," he said last night, snubbing an earlier announcement from Colombia that it would apologize for the incursion.
Colombia's government said yesterday documents found in a jungle camp in Ecuador where Colombia troops killed Mr. Reyes showed ties between the FARC rebels and Mr. Correa, including contacts with his government about political proposals.
Police Cmdr. Gen. Oscar Naranjo said documents found in computers belonging to Mr. Reyes showed contacts between a top Correa government minister and the FARC commander to discuss political proposals and projects on the frontier.
"The questions raised by these documents need concrete answers," Gen. Naranjo said. "What is the state of relations between the Ecuadorean government and a terrorist group like the FARC."
Mr. Uribe has often accused the FARC of using Venezuelan and Ecuadorean territory as safe havens from military attacks.
Mr. Chavez has been trying to negotiate a prisoner exchange between the Colombian government and FARC, which holds hundreds of hostages including three American contractors and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt.
He has brokered the recent release of seven hostages thus far, including four late last month.
During yesterday's television appearance, Mr. Chavez appeared to side with FARC's four decade effort to oust the government and establish a revolutionary state.
"Someday Colombia will be freed from the hand of the [U.S.] empire," Mr. Chavez said. "We have to liberate Colombia."
In another rhetorical flourish, he gave orders to Venezuela's military as millions watched on TV.
"Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately — tank battalions, deploy the air force," Mr. Chavez said. "We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master … to come divide us."
Estimates of the number of troops in 10 Venezuelan battalions ranged from 3,000 to 6,000.
Yesterday's threat pushes already tense relations between the South American neighbors to their lowest point since Mr. Chavez took power in 1999, vowing to make Venezuela a revolutionary socialist state.
Speaking in Texas, U.S. National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said officials were monitoring the situation.
"This is an odd reaction by Venezuela to Colombia's efforts against the FARC, a terrorist organization that continues to hold Colombians, Americans and others hostage," Mr. Johndroe said.
Colombia denied it violated Ecuador's sovereignty but acknowledged attacking the camp maintained on Ecuadorean soil by FARC.
"The terrorists, among them Raul Reyes, have had the custom of killing in Colombia and taking refuge in the territory of neighboring countries. Many times Colombia has suffered from this situation," Colombia's Foreign Ministry said.
In addition to Mr. Reyes, 16 Colombian rebels died in the attack.
U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Suzanne Hall, in Bogota, would not comment on possible American involvement in the operation that led to Mr. Reyes' death.
"This is a government of Colombia operation," she said. "Talk to the government of Colombia for any operational details."
Mr. Correa said Colombia's military violated Ecuadorean airspace and entered to carry away Mr. Reyes' body.
Mr. Reyes, 59, whose real name is Luis Edgar Devia Silva, had been mentioned as a favorite to succeed aging leader Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda.
His death marks the biggest single victory since Mr. Uribe took office in 2002 with a vow to defeat the rebels. He has received billions of dollars in U.S. military aid.
Colombia has already carried out limited operations against FARC sanctuaries in Venezuela.
In 2004, an undercover team snatched the group's "chancellor," Rodrigo Granda, from Caracas. In another incident last year, two Colombian soldiers were killed while on an intelligence mission along the border of both countries.
While the Colombian army is numerically superior and is thought to be better trained than Venezuela's, Mr. Chavez's recent acquisition of 53 Russian combat helicopters and 24 Sukhoi SU 30 warplanes potentially gives him air superiority, military analysts say.
first!!!
harharr
Sad.
FIRSSSSSSSSSSSST =)
Maldito Chavez!!!! guerrillero de mierda!!!! nos quieresw llevar a la guerra por un simple capricho…. F$%CK YOUUUUUUUU
Obama will fix this!!!
Cant we all just get along?
I'm pretty sure no one cares
blaahhhh
Dude this won't happen…I live in Venezuela and this is just another thing Chavez says when he's in Evo Morale's drugs *roll*
Everything is Chavez fault, he had to stand in between and start to spit his comments against Uribe and Correa, and now they are fighting to eachother, and all because he thinks that the FARC's are not terrorist but " revolucionarios del pueblo". i cant undertand him
i hope everthing cool down before gets worst we cant have a war in latinamerica ( im from Chile)
If oil is involved the U.S. will stick their oar in for sure. Wait for the announcement.
whats so greatabout being first?
Chavez is a loon. Seriously. He's done nothing but wreak havoc since he came to power in Venezuela. If there is a war in South America, it will be his fault.
All the latin americans are tired of FARC, they re terrorists, and Chavez is the worst of them
You Americans really need a president who is well accepted all over the world!!! A president who promotes peace, and does not build enemies!
Of course all the US did was not all wrong, but how many people have died in the world because of bad US policies? How many will?
Vote for a PEACEFUL president! VOTE FOR OBAMA!!!!
first??!
I love perezzzzzzzzzz
Hey perez! im a great fun of yours. I'm deeply upset with the situation in South America. The last thing that I want is a war between countries that are suppose to be working together, not fighting because of political interests. Colombia has suffered for many years because of the guerrillas. I support Uribe (the president of Colombia). And Venezuela and Ecuador are putting all the other countries against Colombia because we are allies with the U.S.A. Chavez and Correa take that statement as being an ally of Bush, and is incorrect, we are an ally of the country not the president.
LOVE YA PEREZ!! XOXO. PAMELA VARGAS-MISS COLOMBIA USA.
I just wonder if anyone else will bother to actually READ this…oh well, I read it, and I have to say, I thought Chavez was gonna invoke Godwin's law, but then switching on us with that comment about Israel….phew! What can one say to THAT?
WHAT ABOUT SHUTTING THE FUCK UP ABOUT ISRAEL ALREADY?!
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW IT IS LIKE TO BE UNDER ATTACK ALL THE FUCKING TIME AND NOT BEING ABLE TO DEFEND OURSELEVES WITHOUT GETTING REPRIMANDED!!!!
IT SUCKS.
The U.S stick there noses in with everything.
Chavez es un Maldparido!-I'm so scared of what he may have just started…very very upseting..as if we don't have enough to sort out in Colombia(in the midst of civil war as is!), or South America in general!- War is not something we can afford
FUCK Kevin Spacey, that washed up mofo. He should be tried for treason!!
uribe is just trying to stop terrorist, ppl need to back offf
DEAR PEREZ & ALL OF YOU IGNORANT READERS,
PLEASE YOU SHAMELESLY STUPID ASSWIPES..
READ WORLD NEWS..
PICK UP A FUCKING NEWSPAPER
YOU NORTH AMERICAN SCUM.
Perez, thanks for putting this up. The world should know the truth about this terrible man and what he's capable of. I have family over there so the chance of war is extremely frightening to me. Glad to see the Queen of media using her powers for good:)
Just when you think Amma-did-a-john was the major crackpot in area, Hugo decides to give him a run for his money.
OK, but in the spirit of a celeb site, why is KEVIN SPACEY in this photo?
Background, s'il vous plait.
!!!!!!!!!
the washington times? booo! not a good source.
So scary that Moron Bush is in charge right now, what a disaster
Since Hugo Chavez is Bush's enemy, doesn't that make him our friend?
Chavez u are a f*cking as*hole.!! we hate you for what you have done to our country venezuelaa.. !! i
let'em kill each other,maybe then,they will be forced to sell oil cheap to support the war…..
The US connection to Columbia is obvious and a major factor in Mr.Chavez angry response to Columbia's "attacks"… all he needs is an excuse. Don't under estimate Chavez…
In France we regularly have news reports about Ingrid Betancourt. Her situation is pretty drastic (she is very, very ill) and reports seem to show that she does not have long to live.
I'm not spamming (honest!) but if you want to help her be freed try googling her name..there are websites set up for people who want to sign petitions etc..
She has 2 children, who haven't seen their mother for several years..
Thank you
fucking stupid Chavez!! that's why venezuele is so fucked up!! cuz he doesn't care about anything but talking about other countries.. he's also a "guerrillero"… fucking terrorist!! .. Raul Reyes was one of the most fucking twisted persons in Colombia, he killed, kidnaped innocent ppl for money.. c'mon.. im glad he's dead
Amo lo que hiciste con la foto de Chavez, que muera Chavez, que castro lo arrastre con el junto a su tumba
FUK THIS CRAP……BOMB THE WHOLE COUNTRY AND START OVER.DO THE SAME THING TO THE WHOLE MIDDLE EAST…WHEN THE SMOKE CLEARS DUMP BUTT LOADS OF FLOWER SEEDS AND LET THE VEGETATION TAKE OVER.
Ha, well, here's another reason not to vote for Obama. Can you imagine the choice of Obama vs. McCain with a war in South American going on? McCain would win by a landslide.
It's 3 am, and Obama's too busy playing basketball to answer the phone.