read the cables

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READ THE CABLES.

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love, 99
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viva colombia!

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I'M STOKED.

A Colombian constitutional court on Tuesday ruled the accord was unconstitutional because it had not received approval from the Colombian congress.

The agreement gives US military access to seven Colombian bases, a move that does not sit well with neighbouring Venezuela which has firmly opposed the 2009 accord as a threat to its government.

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a hero

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I know one thing for sure:

Venezuela threatens oil cut to US
SUNDAY, JULY 25, 2010 | 23:51 MECCA TIME, 20:51 GMT

Hugo Chavez, Venezuela's president, has threatened to cut off oil exports to the United States if US-allied Colombia launches a military attack against his country.

"If there was any armed aggression against Venezuela from Colombian territory or from anywhere else, promoted by the Yankee empire, we would suspend oil shipments to the United States even if we have to eat stones here," Chavez said on Sunday.

He added that he had cancelled a trip to Cuba because he had intelligence revealing that "the possibility of an armed aggression against Venezuelan territory from Colombia" was higher than it has been "in 100 years".

Chavez, a leftist and vocal critic of the United States, broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia last week over claims by the outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a close US ally, that his country harbours Colombian rebels.

'Bogus show'

Uribe had said that top commanders of the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, have taken refuge in Venezuela and were launching attacks against Colombian troops.

The Colombian government had presented photos, videos and maps of what it said were Colombian rebel camps inside Venezuela to the Organisation of American States.

Chavez has dismissed the accusations as a bogus show intended to smear his government and has said that Uribe could be trying to lay the groundwork for an armed conflict with Venezuela.

The Colombian government denies seeking a conflict and says it went to OAS with its evidence about the rebels last week because Chavez's government had not taken steps to address the situation.

The United States threw its support behind its key ally Colombia, calling Chavez's decision to sever diplomatic relations and put border troops on alert "a petulant response" to Bogota's accusations.

You have to be the stupidest or the most courageous person around to be the president of any Latin American country. I'm going with dirt stupid for Uribe and most courageous for Chávez... a damn hero. Too bad we have one of the evil step-sisters posing as Cinderella for ours.

This does not bode well. It might be our next excuse for not attacking Iran. I don't care about the military drills in Korea. We're amassing ships in Costa Rica. They can be through the Panama Canal and on top of Venezuela in a heartbeat.

The Chinese have openly let it be known they see through us, and too many pinheads think war is the only thing that reverses the financial wreckage they purposefully wrecked. It KILLS millions and it makes TRILLIONS for trillionaires.

So. Wake up.

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immortal tribulation

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Sucks the marrow out of the bones to contemplate the perfidies upon perfidies endured by so many on our account. It is so completely unbelievable to me that this still goes on after all this time, that so few of us get it even yet, after all the screaming and wailing and endless arrangements of words and expressions and gesticulations to get it across. The ancients called this world "Endurance" and, well, they knew what they were saying.

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spoze he's just trying to be colorful?

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Or don't you buy the stuff about him being insane?

Venezuela to reinforce troops on Colombia border with Russian tanks

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has announced plans for the deployment of new Russian-made tanks and combat helicopters on the border with Colombia.

Ties between Venezuela and Colombia deteriorated last August after Washington signed a deal with Bogota allowing U.S. forces to run anti-drug operations from Colombian bases. Chavez has criticized the deal and called for the Venezuelan people and army to prepare for a war.

"We are expecting the arrival of the first shipment of tanks [from Russia] which will be sent to Barracas [in the state of Barinas] to reinforce a motorized infantry brigade," Chavez said in his weekly TV program, Alo Presidente, on Sunday.

"In addition, attack helicopters arriving from Russia will be deployed along the Colombian border," he said.

Chavez secured a $2.2 loan from Russia during his visit to Moscow last September for the purchase of 92 T-72 main battle tanks, an undisclosed number of Smerch multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS), and a variety of air defense systems, including the advanced S-300 complexes.

Between 2005 and 2007, Moscow and Caracas signed 12 contracts worth more than $4.4 billion to supply arms to Venezuela, including fighter jets, helicopters and Kalashnikov assault rifles.

Venezuelan military already has nearly 200 tanks, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, while Colombia has no tank units.

MEXICO, January 11 (RIA Novosti)

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oh, fine

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Now Colombia's griping about a threat of attack from Venezuela. You may think we don't have the means—financial or in manpower—to cause much mass scale violence in South America, on top of all the mayhem we're perpetrating in the Middle East and North Africa, but, well, I think you are wrong. There are just bottomless possibilities for this stuff. Half the world is ready to be a "defense" contractor for "us" and all our trillions are now in the hands of the guys who control our government. So, truly, there is every reason to worry about this. This maybe more than any of the rest because here is where the antidote to fascism has sprung up and begun to flourish.
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I AM SO NOT KIDDING....
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a hard line against our southern friends

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Bush's Third Term

[Yes, I'm ignoring the bullshit about the Iran-operated terrorist-highrise and mosques. I can't modulate my animosity toward the war pigs well enough to endure more than the briefest glance yet.]

not so paranoid after all

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eva golinger explains the danger of u.s. aggression in south america

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anti-chávez disinformation heating up all over

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Arrests Ordered in Attack on Venezuelan Journalists
17 August 2009

CARACAS – A Caracas court ordered the arrests of two people allegedly involved in the attacks last week that left 12 journalists hurt when they were demonstrating in favor of freedom of expression, the Attorney General’s Office said on Monday.

Last Saturday, the AG’s office announced that it would present in court Gabriel Jesus Uzcategui Beumont, 28, who was arrested that day for his alleged part in the assault.

Last Thursday, 12 journalists handing out leaflets in favor of press freedom were injured by supporters of leftist President Hugo Chavez.

Marcos Ruiz, a reporter for Caracas daily Ultimas Noticias, was punched and beaten with clubs by at least four assailants, colleague Gledys Pastrana told Efe.

All of the journalists who were handing out leaflets to motorists and pedestrians on a busy street in the capital are employees of the Cadena Capriles group, one of Venezuela’s biggest media companies.

Besides the daily Ultimas Noticias, Capriles publishes two business newspapers: El Mundo Economia and Negocios, and the sports paper Lider.

The Chavez partisans arrived on the scene shouting “revolution” and “this street belongs to the people” and then pounced on the journalists, Pastrana said.

“We were there to peacefully distribute flyers and we were savagely beaten,” said reporter Ubaldo Arrieta.

The incident “is not a demonstration of respect for human rights,” Cadena Capriles’ president, Miguel Angel Capriles, told Venezuelan media.

Venezuela has been hauled before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission on several occasions to answer complaints about attacks on news professionals, proceedings that resulted in orders to the government in Caracas to provide protection to specific journalists and outlets.

Most of Venezuela’s private media are outspokenly opposed to the Chavez government.

And do note the hallmark use of the color code as protest. This is a theme that has shown itself to work too well. Of course, with President Chávez it is a foregone conclusion which color to choose, but none the less, just as soon as the coup is consolidated in Honduras, the rumors and disinformation and bullshit attacks on bullshit protest start in to connect Chávez with violence in the streets... not omitting to connect him with FARC in the bargain. Doesn't matter how fantastic the allegations! You will only catch snippets and pretty soon, if you aren't already, you will be convinced that everything bad is Hugo Chávez's fault.

Stay awake.

Wake the fuck up and stay awake. A man backed by masters at this is in the Oval Office and he has shown no scruples whatsoever. Quit listening to his eloquent pie hole and just look at the stuff he's doing right out in the open for any who would look to see.

chavez prepares for war

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CARACAS, Aug 17, 2009 - PRESIDENT Hugo Chavez on Sunday bridled at US plans to use military bases in Colombia, asserting that Venezuela was the top US target in the region and that Venezuelans should prepare for war.

Speaking in his weekly live radio and television broadcast, Chavez also chided US President Barack Obama for accusing leftist Latin leaders of 'hypocrisy' for demanding that Washington intervene more forcefully to reinstate Honduras' ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Mr Obama 'is lost in the clouds. I think he is entering a terrible labyrinth', Mr Chavez said. 'Obama doesn't understand. He needs to study a bit more. He is a young man, full of good intentions.'

'Obama, we are not asking you to intervene in Honduras. To the contrary, we are asking that the empire remove its hand from Honduras and that the empire remove its claws from Latin America,' he said.

His comments come amid growing tension over a plan by Colombia to give US forces access to seven of its military bases to accommodate counter-drug operations following the closure of a base in Ecuador.

Mr Chavez cast the move as a US attempt to encircle Venezuela, warning of a coming military escalation aimed at the country's oil, access to the Amazon basin and plentiful water sources.

'An aggression against Venezuela will be met not only by Venezuela; various countries would take up arms,' he said. 'It is clear to me that a great anti-imperialistic movement would rise up on these lands, God help us.'

'But we have to prepare for it. And one of the best ways to avoid it is to show the enemy that it would be so costly for them to attack Venezuela that they would repent,' he said.

'We do not want war, we hate it. But we must prepare for it. We are number one on the list, Venezuela. We are the first target of the (United States). Using Colombia and the bases in Aruba and Curacao, they are surrounding us,' Mr Chavez warned. -- AFP

I know he's just trying to give Obama a chance to change his mind, to, uhm, man-up, as it were, because he knows for sure Obama was behind the Honduras thing by now, and he knows exactly what's really going on. I love this guy. I love him and I also love Rafael Correa. They are both real men. I mean, just stop and think for a moment what kind of a hero it takes to be doing what those guys are doing in the face of the terrible, terrible consequences that are almost certain to come from El Norte.... How many truly brave leaders do we have to slaughter and depose before you start getting the picture that these men are a couple of the finest humanity has ever produced? Hmmm?

Oh, and do listen to Pilger's whole speech, a part of which I linked directly below, because it's very pertinent to this development as well....

more from al jazeera

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I don't feel so good. I ate at a Mexican restaurant and I think my body isn't happy about this....

biiiiiiig party in quito today

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Combination inauguration, monster holiday and monster summit... the gang was all there... all of them.

U.S. military presence in Colombia could spark war - Chavez
22:13 | 10/08/2009

MEXICO CITY, August 10 (RIA Novosti) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said at a South American summit in Quito on Monday that the presence of U.S. servicemen in Colombia could provoke a war.

"The announcement of an American military deployment at seven military bases in Colombia could turn into a tragedy," he said. "In the current situation, I have to warn everyone of the danger of a war in the region."

Colombia and the U.S. are planning to sign a bilateral security and defense treaty for 10 years, as a result of which Washington could increase the number of its troops deployed at seven bases in the South American state. The U.S. will acquire the right to use the bases to fight international terrorism and drug trafficking.

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said earlier on Monday that by increasing its military presence in Colombia, the United States was seeking to establish control over the region's economic resources.

"The fight against drug trafficking is only an excuse for deploying military bases throughout the [southern] hemisphere," Castro said. He also said that the high-tech military equipment the U.S. was planning to deploy was not needed in the fight against drug trafficking.

"The real objective is control over economic resources and control over the markets," he added.

I gotta go off and do errands but I think I may have a lot more of this when I get back.

make up yer minds!

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Less than a day ago I read:

Venezuela orders ambassador back to Colombia
By JORGE RUEDA (AP) – 23 hours ago

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Hugo Chavez announced he is sending his ambassador back to Colombia, signaling a willingness to ease a diplomatic impasse while not backing down from opposing Colombia's plan to open its military bases to a bigger U.S. presence.

Chavez said as he met with a group of Colombian opposition politicians Saturday night that he still firmly opposes President Alvaro Uribe's plan to allow American troops to use at least seven Colombian military bases, calling it a threat to Venezuela and the region.

"The decision to freeze relations with Uribe's government remains," Chavez told reporters. "We have plenty of reasons to be highly concerned."

Chavez told Ambassador Gustavo Marquez earlier Saturday to return to Bogota, 11 days after he ordered the diplomat home amid the dispute. It remained unclear how soon the Marquez would return.

Colombian officials have said Venezuela has no reason to be concerned, and that the U.S. forces would help fight drug trafficking. Colombian officials also say the proposed 10-year agreement would not boost the presence of American troops and civilian military contractors above the 1,400 currently permitted by U.S. law.

"We're not telling Colombia what it has to do with its territory," Chavez said in an interview from Caracas with Colombia's RCN television. "But we have the right to make warnings, and that's what we're doing."

The group of visiting Colombian opposition politicians was led by Sen. Jaime Dussan, who also condemned Colombia's plan to allow a larger U.S. military presence. Dussan said the group hopes that regular diplomatic and trade relations eventually can be restored.

Tensions between the neighboring nations have also heightened over Colombia's disclosure that three Swedish-made anti-tank weapons found at a rebel camp last year had been purchased by Venezuela's military.

Chavez has accused Colombia — one of its largest trading partners — of acting irresponsibly in its accusation that anti-tank rocket launchers sold to Venezuela in 1988 were obtained by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Sweden confirmed the weapons were originally sold to Venezuela's military.

Chavez has assured visiting Colombian politicians that he is willing to work with Colombia to settle the diplomatic dispute. "I think we should resume ... the path to an agreement with Colombia. Venezuela is willing to search for a political way out," Chavez said.

He also met early Saturday with Colombian Sen. Piedad Cordoba and Alan Jara, a politician and former FARC hostage. On Thursday, Colombian President Ernesto Samper visited Venezuela in an attempt to improve relations.

Uribe's government said late Friday that only the nation's president and foreign minister are authorized to act regarding foreign relations.

Michael Shifter of the Washington-based Inter-American Dialogue think tank said Chavez is likely looking to safeguard Venezuela's economic ties. Chavez had threatened to halt $7.2 billion in shared annual trade and expropriate Colombian businesses if further accusations were made.

"Whatever the tension and mistrust between the two governments, they're very intertwined in their economic relations," Shifter said. "It makes it very difficult to cut off all relationships with Colombia — it's just not realistic."

Relations between Venezuela and Colombia previously reached a low point last year, after Colombia attacked a FARC camp in Ecuador. Chavez and Uribe later made amends.

Colombian officials have long alleged that Chavez's government aids the FARC by giving senior rebel leaders refuge and allowing the guerrillas to smuggle tons of cocaine through the country — allegations that Chavez denies.

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Now, a couple hours ago, they come up with this:

Chavez urges military to be prepared for conflict
By CHRISTOPHER TOOTHAKER, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 57 mins ago

CARACAS, Venezuela – President Hugo Chavez told his military on Sunday to be prepared for a possible confrontation with Colombia, warning that Bogota's plans to increase the U.S. military presence at its bases poses a threat to Venezuela.

Chavez has issued near daily warnings that Washington could use bases in Colombia to destabilize the region since learning of negotiations to lease seven Colombian military bases to the United States.

"The threat against us is growing," Chavez said. "I call on the people and the armed forces, let's go, ready for combat!"

The former paratroop commander said Colombian soldiers were recently spotted crossing the porous 1,400-mile (2,300-kilometer) border that separates the two countries and suggested that Colombia may have been trying to provoke Venezuela's military.

"They crossed the Orinoco River in a boat and entered Venezuelan territory," Chavez said. "When our troops arrived, they'd already left."

Chavez said Venezuela's foreign ministry would file a formal complaint and warned Colombia that "Venezuela's military will respond if there's an attack against Venezuela."

Chavez said he would attend this week's summit of the Union of South American Nations in Quito, Ecuador, to urge his Latin American allies to pressure Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to reconsider plans to increase the U.S. military presence.

"We cannot ignore this threat," Chavez said during his weekly radio and television program, "Hello President."

Chavez also halted shipments of subsidized fuel to Colombia, saying Venezuela should not be sending cheap gasoline to an antagonistic neighbor.

"Let them buy it at the real price. How are we going to favor Uribe's government in this manner?" he said.

Colombian officials say Venezuela has no reason to be concerned, and that the U.S. forces would help fight drug trafficking. The proposed 10-year agreement, they claim, would not push the number of American troops and civilian military contractors beyond 1,400 — the maximum currently permitted by U.S. law.

Tensions between the neighboring South American nations also have been heightened over Colombia's disclosure that three Swedish-made anti-tank weapons found at a rebel camp last year had been purchased by Venezuela's military.

Chavez has accused Colombia of acting irresponsibly in its accusation that the anti-tank rocket launchers sold to Venezuela in 1988 were obtained by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Sweden confirmed the weapons were originally sold to Venezuela's military.

Chavez denies aiding the FARC. He claims the United States is using Colombia as part of a broader plan to portray him as a supporter of terrorist groups to provide justification for U.S. military intervention in Venezuela.

Chavez said Sunday that diplomatic relations with Uribe's government "remain frozen" even though he ordered Venezuela's ambassador to return to Colombia more than a week after he was recalled.

Does it strike you guys that we have entirely too much to worry about nowadays?

Or is it just me?

u.s. backing honduran coup, updated

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Welcome RAW STORY visitors. Sorry, if Dragg, my unfriendly cyber-stalker has inconvenienced you. The gig here is that you click the image for the piece I'm referencing, usually. That's not always immediately apparent to some. If you'd like to see what else I have on the Honduran coup, here you go. Thanks for stopping by.

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I'd like to remind you that Uribe -- who got his constitution changed just as Zelaya was attempting to do -- was meeting with the president as he was refusing to meet with Zelaya or any of the other Latin American presidents asking for meetings. I'd like to remind you that while the OAS and UN have made tough resolutions against this coup and withdrawn ambassadors and sanctions start on Saturday if Zelaya is not restored, we have only broken off joint military operations and our ambassador is hosting Mrs. Zelaya. We're "concerned" and we don't recognize the new government, but are not about to be harsh about it or anything.

And Jeremy Scahill would like to remind you why President Zelaya's actions were legal....

Al Jazeera's latest....

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State Department press conference call, making it clear as mud... sounding as though it supports Zelaya, but never saying that, just stuff about constitutional government for Honduras....

[State Department Official] We think that President Zelaya’s decision to postpone his earlier decision to return to Honduras on Thursday was a wise one. It’s important that the OAS be given an opportunity to engage in its diplomatic initiative to try to create a space so that President Zelaya’s return brings with it a peaceful restoration of democratic and constitutional order.

Honestly, Hillary or Joe could just get on a plane with Zelaya and deposit him back where he belongs, and that would be an end to it. If they're calling it a coup, and the OAS and UN are behind Zelaya's reinstatement, there just is NO impediment to doing the right thing.

in venezuela they call them "magic laptops"

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I'm sure you recall me pitching a hissy about it the other day. I think "magic" is too gentle a term! Did it used to be mystical briefcases before the computer age? Are people really falling for this shit? Why isn't anyone doing something about it? Our military? Bunch of street thugs and con artists with this military? Are you crazy?

down and dirty in columbia

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It blew out all the air, and I'm just gonna get in bed now... fight again another day.

major no-no, abominable no-no, distinctly *-like no-no

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...if even partly true at all. It could damn-well be a limited hangout to try to divert attention from the ransom scandal.

Meanwhile, my buddy is out mending fences and making friends.

careful now, careful

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Hugo Chávez, a hopeless romantic, has a very soft spot for Simón Bolívar, and Álvaro Uribe, the same man who claimed to have found a laptop convicting Chávez of helping the FARC, has just given him a book about his hero, suddenly making nice, nice, nice. Never mind that this further proves the laptop business was bullshit, please don't let Chávez be taken in. Maybe we can rely on his friend to keep him grounded.

[Amy Goodman on the Uribe regime....]

mister death squad

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McClatchy's failure to even note the ransom money story in the Betancourt "rescue" bothered me greatly, but at least they're seeing fit to hint at the trouble with Columbia here.