Colombia refuses third-country verification of rebels' presence in Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Xinhua

Colombia refuses third-country verification of rebels' presence in Venezuela
16:55, August 13, 2010

Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin ruled out the possibility of a third country's verification to determine whether there are Colombian rebel camps in Venezuela, El Tiempo newspaper said Thursday.

"We are looking forward. We are going to see which security mechanisms we will enforce," Holguin was quoted as saying.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez cut ties with Colombia on July 22 after Bogota accused Caracas of sheltering left-wing Colombian rebels. However, diplomatic relations were restored after Chavez met with Colombia's newly inaugurated President Juan Manuel Santos.

Holguin said she was to meet with her Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro on Aug. 20 and discuss the establishment of five commissions reached during the two presidents' meeting.

Read more: http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90852/7104337.html

[Peace Patriot]

1. Colombia refused third party MEDIATION while DEMANDING third party verification.

In trying to figure out what this article got wrong (it just doesn't make sense), I suddenly realized how absurd Colombia's position on this has been. They demanded that an international force invade Venezuela right now, and inspect its territory and start shooting up the countryside--like they do in Colombia--gunning down trade unionists, teachers, community activists, human rights workers, peasant farmer leaders and anybody who looks kind of communist, and rout out those FARC "terrorists" that that "terrorist lover"/commie dictator/bogeyman Hugo Chavez is "harboring" but don't lay a hand on the rightwing paramilitary death squads operating in Venezuela's border areas, in fact enlist their help in killing commies and peasants...

...but...

...when other countries offered to mediate this, um, dispute (Colombia making wild charges, Venezuela reinforcing its border), Colombia flat out refused. The incoming Colombian leader insisted on meeting with Chavez alone.

It would be hilarious, if it were not so murderous and bloody-minded--Colombia calling for international forces to invade Venezuela, where the government has harmed NO ONE--amidst the horrendous human rights scandals that are unfolding in Colombia (some 2,000 bodies in one mass grave alone). But I didn't quite realize how crazy Colombia's "demands" were, until now. They want everybody to pile on Venezuela but they don't want to discuss anything with objective third parties present?

But back to the article: I think the article is outdated, or gives a garbled version of events?

For the record: Colombia's outgoing pResident (their "little Bush") Alvaro Uribe suddenly called an emergency meeting of the OAS (which meets in Washington and is dominated by the U.S.), accusing Venezuela of "harboring" FARC guerillas, and just as he was relinquishing power sent his own lawyer to the Hague to accuse Venezuela of "crimes against humanity." Venezuela cut off diplomatic relations with Colombia and put its border forces on alert. Among Uribe's demands were that an international force enter Venezuela to check out certain coordinates, provided by Uribe's security apparatus, where FARC guerillas would surely be found. As well-informed people know, Uribe may find himself in the dock at the Hague for real crimes against humanity, so the question is: Was all this just flak to cover his own ass and those of his thug cohorts, or was something worse in the works--for instance, a U.S./Colombia excuse to start a war with Venezuela?

The new U.S. tool running Colombia, however--former Defense Minister Manuel Santos--has been playing his cards close to his chest, and, although he refused many offers from other Latin American leaders to mediate the dispute, he arranged a meeting with Chavez, which resulted in various accords, including restoration of diplomatic relations.

So, what Colombian Foreign Minister Maria Angela Holguin may have said is that Colombia has ABANDONED its demand that an international force enter Venezuela ("We are looking forward" = we are not taking up this Uribe demand), and that they will look to other "security mechanisms" that are going to be set up in cooperation with Venezuela, with these new commissions.

This is by no means an ideal solution for Venezuela. They basically have a snake in the grass on their border, armed by the USA ($7 BILLION in U.S. military aid to Colombia, and the U.S. military and Blackwater, Dyncorp, et al, now occupying at least seven military bases in Colombia). The U.S./Colombia can make all kinds of trouble for Venezuela, and concoct all kinds of lies about it, and all Venezuela will have are these joint "commissions," with no third parties to help untangle U.S./Colombian treachery. Colombia (arranged by the CIA?) may have gotten rid of their "little Bush" but is the new guy any better, or is he just cagier?

I would guess cagier, and that Venezuela is in for continued difficulties with this U.S. client state up to and including a U.S.-instigated war. I don't think that the U.S. military has moved onto Colombia bases, and the other evidences of a U.S. military buildup in the region, are merely to enforce "free trade for the rich" on the poor majorities in Colombia, Honduras and other malleable countries. I think there is an overarching strategic plan by the U.S. to "circle the wagons" in the Central America/Caribbean/northern South America (Caribbean coast) region, and that controlling Venezuela's oil (biggest reserves on earth, twice Saudi Arabia's), one way or another, is a vital part of this plan. If war is necessary to netting in this resource, the U.S. war machine is more than hijackable to that purpose, as we have learned to our grief. And nobody can stop them.

I don't think it's a very realistic plan, however. I think the U.S. will lose any such war--because the motivation of the defenders of Venezuela's sovereignty and Venezuela's oil will be greater and much more altruistic than the poverty-lured "cannon fodder" that the U.S. must use for its wars. But realism--not to mention justice--doesn't enter into rightwing thinking in the U.S., nor is it in great supply at the Pentagon, which has its own foolish myths and fancies that easily override common sense when a war profiteering venture is afoot.

[COLGATE4]

2. I imagine that the proposed 'neutral third country' would be Ecuador

so I can understand why Colombia wouldn't be thrilled with that prospect

[bemildred]

3. Well, the third-party verification was proposed by the outgoing Colombian gov't.

Or at least that's what I read, so I would not think they would have suggested Ecuador.

[rabs]

4. Ecuador does not have diplomatic relations with Colombia

... and so it could hardly be a third-party mediator. Relations were broken by Ecuador after Colombia, when JM Santos was mindefense, bombed the FARC camp inside Ecuador on March 1, 2008.

There has been a thaw recently, Correa even went to Santos' inauguration a week ago. While there, someone in Santos' government turned over a copy of the hard drive from the miracle FARC laptop that survived the bombing. Ecuador had been demanding it for the past two years. The computer allegedly showed Ecuadoran collusion with the FARC.

Ecuadoran experts are now analyzing the info on the hard drive; there have been reports that the computer info was manipulated by Colombian techies.

I sort of think that Ecuador will find that out and relations with the Santos administration will stay frozen for some time.

[bemildred]

5. Well, there is that too.

FWIW, I am a computer geek, 21 years professional experience, and I will testify that a knowledgeable person such as myself, with quite cheap equipment and software, some of it free, can put anything he likes on a computer hard drive, and there is literally no way to tell what was done or when it was done. You have to know what your are doing, it could take a little time, but it's a piece of cake.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Absolutely! No one else. Colombia has its own nearly insurmountable problems with Ecuador,

having invaded Ecuador a mile from its border and dropped tons of U.S.-supplied bombs in that area, and nearly involving both countries in a conflagration from which they are only recently beginning to recover.

Santos really put the icing on the cake when he immediately claimed, during a visit to Washington that Colombia would reserve the right to repeat this action again if Colombia felt there was any reason to do it.