Meanwhile, South of the Border

Yes, I know that Texas is where it all stopped last night, but gaze with me for a moment south of the Rio Grande into our Latin backyard. There, you will discover that in recent days the democratically elected government of Colombia is being bullied by Venezeuela's Napoleon wannabe Hugo Chavez after Colombian military forces briefly entered Ecuadorean border areas to chase down Raul Reyes, a leading commander of Colombia's brutal terrorist groups -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC).

Chavez is not a mere irritant, loud mouth that he is. This time, "Che Chavez's" muddy fingerprints are all over a captured laptop proving that he provided $300 million in military and financial assistance to FARC. Now I have not seen the laptop myself, but Chavez and his Chavezian "mini me" Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa, apparently have been acting like the leaders of Iran and Syria of Latin America by providing major league support for FARC.

A war among the three Latin nations is unlikely, but Chavez's aid and comfort to FARC is a wake up call that if he willing to support FARC, Chavez's crazed anti-Yankee mentality may lead him to support other terrorist groups that lurk in the soft underbelly of the our hemisphere. It is well known to counter-terrorism officials that there are elements of Iranian backed Hezbollah agents throughout Latin America, and it is worth keeping a much closer eye on Chavez's antics to see whether he may be playing footsie with Hezbollah in Latin America, as well.

Ordinarily, Chavez would not constitute anything more than yet another Latin dictator making hay by tweaking Uncle Sam. But Chavez is more than just an irritant. He is pouring his petro-dollars into a lot of questionable hands and chasing foreign investment out of Venezuela. He is also forcing into exile moderate opponents, and is manipulating his totalitarian control of the judiciary by denying due process and the rule of law to his opponents.

In the long list of foreign policy challenges the next president faces, Chavez cannot be ignored. Perhaps Chavez will tone down his rhetoric and cease playing with fire if a Democrat is elected (McCain will probably provoke him more); but don't count on it. This little guy has big, reckless plans for himself and our Latin American friends know that the next U.S. president may be tested by him early on.

Three hundred million dollars to a terrorist group fighting a democratic government is grounds to put Chavez's Venezuela on the list of state sponsors of terror. Any takers?

Comments

[PandeiroMan]

Here`s a piece for all the pro Chavez people out there who don`t actually know anything about him other than his anti-bush stance:
¨(In Venezuela) inflation is spiraling out of control (22.5 percent in 2007), and Venezuelans face shortages of basic goods like milk, flour and cooking gas. The nation is suffering a net outflow of capital due to Chávez's anticapitalist rhetoric. Violent-crime rates are at world-record levels, and Chávez's popularity rating has fallen to below 40 percent.¨

[mgloraine]

Sorry, Ambassador, but how many times are we supposed to fall for BushCo's lies and misrepresentations?

George W. Bush is the enemy of democracy and democratic reforms wherever they may threaten his personal profits. BushCo retains Colombia as a client state in order to maintain a military foothold near Venezuela's oil fields.

Bush has no problem ignoring war and genocide under way in resource-poor areas of Africa, so if the "Decider" has been instructed to comment on tensions in South America, it's because he or his corporate sponsors have money at stake in the region.

If Bush says he supports the Colombian government, then we can rest assured that the Colombian government is as crooked as the Bush government, which is utterly corrupt.

If Bush is accusing Chavez of being an evil dictator, it's probably because he's in charge of a country with significant oil resources; Cheney/Bush have used exactly the same language to describe Saddam Hussein and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for approximately the same reason. It also means Chavez had better watch out for a Bush-sponsored, CIA-led invasion, probably from Colombia, but possibly with help from some other nearby client state(s).

[Rule Of Law]

OH, and how doe we feel now that other SA/CA countries like Nicaragua are beginning to hold Columbia
accountable for this violation of Ecuador's borders?

[Berettasskeeter]

International law has always recognized the right of a country to "hot pursuit". Ecuador was harboring FARC murderers, as does Venezuela. I hail Colombia's killing of a top FARC leader for the bold strike against these Marxist murderers they are.
Semper fi

[Rule Of Law]

Also, let's not forget that every incursion into a sovereign state that the US made in Viet Nam, from clandestine black ops in Laos to bombing runs in Cambodia, were held by international law to be violations of their national space, and illegal.

[Rule Of Law]

In the international law theory, the principle of "hot pursuit" is only mentioned in the Article 111 of the Law of the Sea Convention 1982. According to it, if the coastal state concerned has good reason to believe that a foreign ship has infringed its law and regulations while passing through its maritime belt, that ship might be pursued and eventually apprehended even on the high seas, provided that the pursuit commenced immediately, by the warships or government vessels, after signaling the foreign ship to stop, and that it was continuous and uninterrupted. But there is a serious limitation upon this right. The pursuit is to cease as soon as the vessel pursued enters the maritime belt of its own country, or of a third state. Under no circumstances, is the pursuer allowed to enter the sovereign territorial waters of another state.

But the question here is whether the police or military forces of one state may cross the frontier into another state, without permission, in order to pursue and capture persons who have committed offences on the territory of the first state.

This alleged right of "hot pursuit" - though unfounded in international law " has been claimed frequently by a few states (most frequently by South Africa) to justify armed incursions into the territory of neighbouring states for the purpose of destroying the military bases of guerrillas who have launched, or will launch, attacks against these states. It has been claimed on the basis of so-called "expanded self-defence".

This right has not only been denied because it infringes the sovereignty of the neighboring state but also because the purpose is punitive rather than defensive. Moreover, even in the established maritime right of hot pursuit, the sovereignty of a state cannot be violated by entering its territorial waters.

[Berettasskeeter]

Bravo, Marc. Chavez tried to pull a fast one on his own people, and lost. He actively supports FARC! Whether people believe that the laptop info is true is moot. Chavez actively supports FARC bases in Venezuela. He is running massive food shortages in his own country, while sending hundreds of millions to Argentina, Equador, and Nicaragua. He lacks only the absolute control of a dictator, which he is rapidly acquiring, and in the process he is driving thousands out of Venezuela.
I'm glad you posted this.
Semper fi

[ah2323]

Why do we need to see this right wing agitprop here? The ambassador is either ignorant or disingenuous. I'm going with disingenuous. Go back to FreeRepublic.com with the other common trolls, sir!

[Mike169]

We've been fucking with Latin America since we arrogantly claimed we'd protect them in 1823. While I realize it is very difficult for this country to mind its own business don't you think it's about time we did.

[apduncan1]

Latin America did not need protection in 1823 or any other time. What really happened in 1823 was that the USA did not want Britain, a power that had abolished slavitude, making inroads in Latin America.

The USA, the Southern states in particular, wanted to turn the Caribbean and Central America into a slave agricultural system.

Heck, Bolivar kicked out Harrison, the first US diplomat in Colombia and a POTUS later on, when he started treating people as if they were American indians.

[Mike169]

Unfortunately the Indians didn't have a Monroe Doctrine to "protedt them" from the U.S.

[fariqabdulaziz]

Ambassador, the US funds trains and equips right wing death squads in Colombia and their murderous and corrupt "elected" Uribe government, this is nothing new throughout Latin America, our long time private murderfest playground, but do we classify ourselves as state sponsors of terrorists? (IMO we certainly are!) In fact, some of the big right wing death squads were created by American and multinational corporations as private protection forces, until they got out of control? Did you know that the leftist/Marxist group FARC tried to join the political election process once, but all their elected officials were brutally murdered by the right wing US backed government? Are you aware that Chavez was successfully negotiating the release of many FARC prisoners, both Columbian and international, and so it seems a very convenient time for the Uribe government to assassinate one of FARC's political leaders and end the negotiation process before FARC gets more international recognition and praise for bargaining in good faith. Chavez was democratically elected, unlike our Presidente, but we tried to overthrow him with a CIA coup in 2002 because he didn't want to play ball with the oil companies or cater to the rich.
I'm sure a lot of US politicians would still like to invade oil rich Venezuela and depose Chavez, it's the neocon formula and fantasy, and this article which basically supporting grounds for one of Dick Cheney's wet dreams is very worrysome.

[Rule Of Law]

test

[ProudNeoCon]

Do yo actually believe what you type or you copy it from "Hate US 101" propoganda book from somewhere in the bunker

[PandeiroMan]

Let´s all agree that all neocons, proud or not are a blight on our country. That being said- just because people here on the HuffPo want to relive the Ché Guevara years doesn´t mean we´ll see another Ché. Maybe we will, and we should all keep our fingers crossed, but this megalomaniac in Venezuela is not the next coming of Ché, or Fidel or anyone, other than perhaps the Ayatollah. The reality is, he stokes the fears of anti- americanism (anti bushism, which willl be VERY hard to continue once we elect Barack Obama) but he is ignoring the real problems of inflation and the exact same shit that the US is currently ignoring vís a vís the middle class. When you ignore the middle class, you really don´t have the best interests of the country in mind.

[falco]

NeoCon, how about you do a little homework! Read something like "Confessions of an Economic Hitman" or just merely another side to the bullshit dished out to us by the Rockefeller education system - who probably own the publishing company as well as all the resources and infrastructure in South America! Have you ever heard of the CIA or figured out who they really work for? Let me help you out, it isn't for the American people. They work for the bankers who make a HUGE profit on war. Any sane person has to question what is going on behind the scenes instead of blindly believing what our government tells you. I suppose you believe there is really a war on drugs too.

[apduncan1]

Excelent book!

[MajorKong]

"Three hundred million dollars to a terrorist group fighting a democratic government is grounds to put Chavez's Venezuela on the list of state sponsors of terror."

Colombia may be technically "democratic" but their government has a terrible human rights record. The right-wing paramilitary groups backed by the Colombian government are no better than the FARC.

But that's OK, since all we really care about is whether they do what we want.

[Durango]

Does anyone seriously think that the tons of cocaine coming out of Colombia could possibly be moved without the cooperation of the government?
Not that i necessarily blame them. That much money would corrupt almost anyone. But at the same time the government takes US tax dollars for "antidrug" programs they are no doubt busily shoveling the blow north.

So don't use FARC's participation in the drug trade as justification for an aggressive war over oil.

[PandeiroMan]

WHAT??? The government of Colombia would love for the coca trade to dry up. They get absolutely no positive benefits from it. In fact the opposite is true- either the FARC are using drug money to kidnap and terrorize the ¨normal¨ population, or the right wing piece of shits are using drug money to terrorize and coerce the ¨normal¨ population. People in the US need to understand that people in Colombia, or Venezuela, or Brazil (where I live and work) are exacty the same as people in Ohio or Kansas or Texas or wherever. People just want to raise ther kids and live a normal existence. THAT is the main thing people in other parts of the world envy about the US. Not freedom or any neocon bullshit- they want to raise their family and be able to ¨worry¨about bullshit things like john mccain giving improper deals to a hot young lobbyist, or drilling in ANWAR or the price of gas being almost (gasp) on par with the rest of the world. People would give anything not to worry about Israeli rockets, or FARC kidnappings or any druglords or policeman´s stray bullets killing their babies, (Brasil suffers from this WAY too much). So think before you in the comfortable middle class - or even lower class of America goes and shoots your mouth off about the rest of the world.

[Idytme]

This situation is far more complex than many people seem to want to acknowledge. It is very easy to judge it in black and white terms of how both sides in this debate seem to want to frame it.
If the United States had home grown terrorists getting support from Canada and Mexico, and for years Canada was supporting them financially,and with their own military, - and many years of reaching out diplomatically did nothing - and if in one border incursion into Mexico not only could we wipe out one of their top leaders, but also get evidence of the support, you bet your bottom dollar we would do it.
Here is a good article about how Venezuela has been supporting FARC for years:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/02/25/international/i100855S01.DTL&hw=chavez&sn=005&sc=329

The Venezuelan reaction is over the top and one has to think they are trying to distract either their own citizens or world opinion from something.

On the other hand, I agree with the people who are upset about the use of the word "dictator". Chavez was democratically elected. The citizens of Venezuela are getting upset about some of the direction of the country and we should leave it to those citizens to correct any problems in their own government. Everyone should read "Shock Doctrine" to get an idea about what is going on in South America and what you never learned in any world history course and never read about in our newspapers.

[GoreyFantod]

Many of us have read and researched (as well as lived, first-hand), U.S. foreign policy and have arrived at different conclusions than you and Ambassador Ginsberg.

Neither ignorance nor naivete have led me to mistrust the goals and practices of America as a state actor in the world. I have come to despise U.S. foreign policy BECAUSE I have educated myself and used my critical thinking skills to examine the propaganda generated by our American institutions and perpetuated by my fellow citizens. To wit, calling Chavez a dictator is simply one tactic in a larger strategy to undermine a democratically elected government which is openly opposed to our foreign policy and therefore (in the eyes of the U.S.), setting a bad example for its neighbours. After all, these same Latin American neighbours might be tempted to resist corporate imperialism and World Bank/IMF "assistance" if left to their own devices. It is that very arrogance on our part which created and nurtures Chavez, Lula DaSilva, Evo Morales, Daniel Ortega, etc.

The lived history of the slaves, serfs, servants, sharecroppers & service workers means more to me than the nationalist, good-vs.-evil mythology we're fed by our institutions, whether it's our government, schools, military, corporate media outlets or whatever.

[Idytme]

Umm, I don't know how you could have read my post and thought I support the American propaganda about South America.
Everyone should read "Shock Doctrine" and learn for themselves about what economics we have pushed onto many countries, especially in South America. Many of the things in the book did "shock" me, and it is not anything any teacher even in college told me about.

[apduncan1]

Do you expect Americans to read about History or Geography?

You got to be kidding me!

[TheCult]

C'mon Marc, Chavez gives Colombia a hard time for what they did and then suddenly Colombia can prove that Chavez financially supports Farc? We should take that as reason to demonize Chavez? America needs a smarter policy towards Latin America and Chavez. This current policy of demonizing anyone who threatens corporate control over that region is quite foolish. It can only lead to the worsening of the situation. This isn't the 1950's anymore. People in Latin America have the internet, they can no longer be kept in the dark about what is really going on and what foreign interests are doing to their countries. A new paradigm for American relations with Latin America has to begin, a paradigm where we respect the right of the common people to be the beneficaries of their natural resources. If we continue with business as usual, our relations will only get worse and worse. We don't treat European countries as vassal states where we simply install a puppet government who will succumb to corporate rape of their natural resources, not that there aren't people who would want to do that, but we can't get away with it, if we tried we would lose out on our economic and political allies in Europe. But we still have the idea that we can continue to rape Latin America in this new information age. The consequences of this outdated policy is seen in the growing anti-American economic and political situation in the region. Also see http://www.counterpunch.org/hylton03062008.html

[Steamboater]

We don't have to demonize Chavez. The one thing he's good at doing is demonzing himself. No matter what changes we make toward his country or Latin Amerrica in general, the man will still be a danger. He wants a voice, and a very loud one too. Like any silly and petty dictator in the making, Chavz wants to beat his chest like some gorilla gone wild for attention. If he can get it by supporting even terrorists, he'll do it. We've made a lot of mistakes in Latin America that need attention and soon too but Chavez is one ape we need to keep a good eye on.

[Mike169]

Don't you see? There was a laptop!

[Jandie]

Please everyone! -

The country is COLOMBIA not Columbia.

Columbia is the space shuttle, the University and the clothing line.

I know that it's an honest mistake, but please keep in mind the correct spelling.

[wiseapple]

Hey, I'm sorry. I think I am one of the culprits from earlier. I guess I haven't paid enough attention to the globe lately.

[mommadona]

"Three hundred million dollars to a terrorist group fighting a democratic government is grounds to put Chavez's Venezuela on the list of state sponsors of terror. Any takers?"

Only if you also arrest George H W Bush and his cronies for planning a coup in that part of the world back when he was head of the CIA and then, as VP for Reagan.

Oh, how dirty are those glass houses....

http://knowyourbfee.blogspot.com/2005/08/know-your-bfee-oliver-north-us.html

[Mike169]

If Chavez' "muddy fingerprints" are all over a laptop that proves he gave $300 million to FARQ then the US' body prints are all over everytthing that happens in Latin America. Sorry Ambassador - it's time the US stopped treating South America as if it was a 51st state. We've been fucking with them since 1823 and no good has come of it for the poor people of Central and South America.

[VicPerry]

The Ambassador is Senior Vice President of APCO, who announce on their website that they are proud to welcome the services of Scott McClellan. Yes, that Scott McClellan. Who has joined Mr. Ginsberg in the "International Advisory Council."

Ginsberg's post is EXACTLY what is meant by the phrase "Corporate Media." It's like getting your news from a McDonald's commercial

http://www.apcoworldwide.com/

[Tubby]

The bottom line is we need to liberate Venezuela and protect their natural resources from fools in their "government".

[ProudNeoCon]

Getting involved in another war. No thanks... In 5 years of Chavez and more food shortages he will be kicked out of country anyway...

[MaciasJ]

I think this is sarcasm.. "liberate natural resources...."

[Mike169]

...or the fools in our government.

[VicPerry]

Tubby, why don't YOU go "liberate" Venezuela. Those "liberations" have been going so well, you know? But do read up on the history of banana republics first.

[Aaror]