Is Chavez admitting an alliance with FARC?
posted at 1:50 pm on March 2, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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The juxtaposition of events in Colombia and Venezuela give a compelling indication that Hugo Chavez has allied himself with FARC, the terrorist rebels just across his border. The day after the Columbians managed to kill FARC’s second in command, Chavez moved ten battalions to the border, threatening war against the US-allied government in Bogota, which he called “criminal”:
President Hugo Chavez on Sunday ordered 10 battalions of troops to the border with Colombia after Colombia’s military killed a top rebel leader.
Chavez told his defense minister: “move 10 battalions for me to the border with Colombia, immediately.” He also ordered the Venezuelan Embassy in Colombia closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.
The move threatens to bring the US into open conflict with Chavez for the first time. We have allied ourselves with the Colombian government to eradicate narco-traffickers as well as to help them eliminate the threat from FARC. The terrorist group still holds Americans, having kidnapped them years ago after a plane crash in territory under their control.
We saw a hint of this six weeks ago. Chavez demanded that Latin American nations recognize FARC (as well as a few other terrorist groups) as “legitimate armies” despite their track record of kidnapping and drug trafficking. As the Washington Post noted, even allies of Chavez balked at that notion. Now it looks as though Chavez will take Venezuela to war to support these terrorists, hoping to undermine President Alvaro Uribe and the democratic government in Colombia.
He’s taking his first steps to making himself a menace to the entire hemisphere rather than just to the Venezuelans.
If those battalions move across the border, Chavez had better expect a volley of cruise missiles at his command and control centers. The US will not allow Chavez to topple the elected government in Colombia. It would probably provide the only possible reason Washington would use military force against Chavez, and even this skeptical Congress would have little choice but to support the defense of an American ally under attack from a hostile nation.
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Nice post Blaise. I don’t envy you Bogota but that 2800 meters has me thinking it is time to pull the Meade out again.
Limerick on March 3, 2008 at 2:08 PM
Thanks Limerick…gotta say, though, that Bogota’s an absolutely wonderful city. Trust me on this…if you ever come here, you won’t want to leave.
Blaise on March 3, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Made a brief visit in 76. It was pretty. My comment was more a worry over those HugoMigs.
Limerick on March 3, 2008 at 2:28 PM
Blaise,
Yeah, Bogota is awesome, but I fell in love with Medellin. Great climate, stuff to do, and the Paisa women are absolutely jaw dropping.
Golden Boy on March 3, 2008 at 2:42 PM
It is the intent of Chavez to get the U.S. involved
With respect to Ecuador, there is another dynamic unfolding. Although there is no love lost between Ecuador and Colombia and infringement into a sovereign state by the Colombian military is questionable in itself, there is a brewing storm in the state of Guayas and more specifically Guayaquil concerning the Quito based government.
There are indications that in that coastal state, a growing movement to separate itself from Correa has gathered steam.
Correa’s “Robin Hood” approach to siphoning capital from the the more self-sufficient port city, which depends on healthy commerce with the U.S. is meeting with some powerful opposition. Essentially, there is a high probability that certain influences from within Ecuador itself, welcomed albeit aided the hit.
Chavez is doing his best to waken the “Sleeping Giant.”
In the process of concocting his witches-brew, he may be stirring up the stew of his own demise. His delusion as the new “Castro” in the region will be the source of his downfall. The U.S. wont need to get involved. Subtle intervention will be the tune of the day. At least for the time being.
Schmo on March 3, 2008 at 2:44 PM
My wife’s Paisa. Great, great people.
Blaise on March 3, 2008 at 3:04 PM
Great post Blaise.
I was just reading the Brazilian papers and they are claiming that Colombia has proof that Chavez has given FARC $300 million. Any word on that down there?
sweeper on March 3, 2008 at 3:10 PM
Captain Ed…you need to tap Blaise on the shoulder in case things go froggy down yonder. Nothing like eyes on the ground.
Limerick on March 3, 2008 at 3:14 PM
The stench of sulfur intoxicates the madman from Venezuala.
This a great post and a development to pay attention to.
Could he be such a megalomanaic that he’ll join Allende in hell so soon?
crashman on March 3, 2008 at 4:21 PM
The plot thickens, immensely. Apparently, they recovered a laptop computer at the scene of the attack that belonged to the FARC #2 man. In it, evidence has been found that Hugo Chavez has funded FARC with over 300 million dollars of aid in exchange for FARC helping to defend Venezuela if the U.S. were to attack.
But the biggest piece of damning info on FARC that has been disseminated from the laptop, is that FARC was in the process of going into the International Terrorism business and has been attempting to obtain quantities of Uranium. Most likely for ‘dirty bombs’ I would imagine. I wonder what else is on that laptop hard-drive!
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aMPbNS8tsmVo&refer=latin_america
SilverStar830 on March 3, 2008 at 4:31 PM
“I wonder what else is on that laptop hard-drive!”
Check out the part about Obama: “The gringos asked for an appointment with the minister to ask him to tell us about their interest in talking about the topics. They say their new president will be Obama, and they are interested in his countrymen. Obama will not support Plan Colombia nor will sign the FTA. We responded that we are interested in having relations with all governments on equal conditions and in the case of the United States it will require a public statement expressing their interest in talking with the FARC because of their eternal war against us.”
Who are the gringos???
Golden Boy on March 3, 2008 at 5:50 PM
The story about the $300 million is in El Tiempo and also in El Universal (from Venezuela). Another interesting bit is the supposed purchase, or intent to purchase uranium…who knows why? For re-sale?
For me, I am still a bit struck by the fact that the Ecuadorean government appeared ready to supply the FARC with information about Colombian interests in Ecuador. That could have led (or may lead? who knows?) to bombings, killings and kidnappings there. It’s one thing to undermine a state, but it’s quite another, it seems to me, to set up civilians as targets.
Blaise on March 3, 2008 at 6:24 PM
I think you’re right. After a couple of “Deliverance” manuvers they would run away screaming.
In all seriousness, with all the gun laws we have today could our population really fight off an invasion that included heavily armed soldiers, tanks, and other heavy weapons. I doubt it. Much of today’s generation are a bunch of whiney brats who have never had to go through anything rough. After they saw someone get their head blown off they would probably roll up in a ball and cry.
boomer on March 3, 2008 at 7:40 PM
Some people say Americans are too scared to fight when we’re already deployed elsewhere…
I say: go ahead and see what happens if Hugo crosses that line.
(Besides, without Vieques… Hugo’s Presidential Palace is almost convenient.)
Final thought: AEGIS vs. MiG?
I say AEGIS.
Jones Zemkophill on March 3, 2008 at 10:23 PM
Well, first of all my comment stated it would be a good movie plot. But, since you brought it up it wasn’t any army that attacked us on 9/11. Look at the devestation, death and economic havoc that was wreaked on this country that day.
boomer on March 3, 2008 at 10:38 PM
I love it when you talk like that…
Jaibones on March 4, 2008 at 7:48 AM
Has anyone from the Bush Administration reacted to Chavez’ threat against Colombia? This would be a good test of how serious they are in fighting drug trade, despite what might happen to the price of oil if the Venezuelan supply is cut off…
Steve Z on March 4, 2008 at 4:28 PM
kick the tires and light the fires, we’s gonna go kill us some socialists.
beefytee on March 4, 2008 at 5:17 PM
Anyone know what US military assets we have in that region?
gzelmiami on March 5, 2008 at 12:08 AM
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