Bolivia, Venezuela - Coups in Waiting?

It certainly appears that whilst the public are distracted by moose shooting censorship lovers and the second coming, the US government is once more attempting a spot of covert regime change in South America. As RickB has already noted over at Ten Percent, both Venezuela and Bolivia have now expelled their American ambassadors as a result of apparent attempts by the American government to remove these governments from power. It has also emerged that the American government may have been supporting officers within the Venezuelan army who are hostile to Chavez. According to The Guardian, Chavez said:

'...several Venezuelan military officers had been detained following an investigation by his intelligence services. During his televised address he played a recording of purported conversations between the alleged conspirators.

Earlier, the defence minister, General Gustavo Rangel Briceño, and a pro-Chávez TV host, Mario Silva, named several senior officers from the navy, air force and national guard as suspects.'

Not content with supporting anti-government forces in Venezuela, the US government has further attempted to smear Chavez by once more linking him to the Colombian drug trade and the FARC. Again, from The Guardian:

Separately, the US treasury accused three members of Chávez's inner-circle of materially assisting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), leftist guerrillas who traffick cocaine and are considered terrorists by the US and EU. Hugo Carvajal Barrios and Henry Rangel Silva are senior intelligence officials and Ramón Rodríguez Chacin was interior minister until this week when he unexpectedly resigned, citing personal reasons.

Venezuela's government acknowledges talking to Farc to negotiate hostage releases but denies funnelling weapons or drug money.

Visiting Britain this week, the US drugs czar, John Walters, repeated claims that Venezuela and Bolivia were taking over from Colombia in the export of cocaine.

It would be funny if it wasn't so serious. After all, the US government also play a key role in supporting terrorist organisations in Colombia. Despite Uribe's well documented links to human rights abuses, as well as his links to right-wing terrorists operating within his borders, the US government continues to fund his government to the hilt. If Chavez is guilty of aiding a 'terrorist organisation' in Colombia, Bush is equally guilty. And yet, in this world of inverted mirrors and perverse logic, Chavez is the threat and Bush is the solution. And if anyone thinks that Bush Terror Inc will cease trading come 2009, I am afraid they are very much mistaken.

Chavez Out Manoeuvres Critics

Chavez clearly caught a few by surprise with his statement regarding the FARC, particularly given the unsubstantiated allegations against Venezuela by Colombia:

Colombia's defence minister has welcomed a call by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for Farc rebels to end their four-decade struggle.

Mr Chavez, whom Colombia has accused of financing Farc, had earlier said the group was "out of step" and called on them to release all their hostages.

He urged Alfonso Cano, Farc's new leader, to "let all these people go".

Colombian Defence Minister Juan Manuel Santos welcomed the comments as long as they were "translated into action".

"Our fundamental strategic objective is that our neighbours collaborate in the fight against terrorism," said Mr Santos.

He said the move meant that Colombia and Venezuela would be able to renew their ties, to the benefit of both nations.

Perhaps Chavez might use this opportunity to have greater influence on Colombian politics. Certainly, any perceived support for the FARC would have impeded the development of a political leader sympathertic to Chavez in Colombia. Perhaps this is not the best news for Uribe.

Colombia Probes Links With FARC

Colombian prosecutors have asked the Supreme Court to investigate three opposition legislators for alleged links to the leftist Farc rebels.

The investigations were prompted by analysis of laptop computers seized in a cross-border raid into Ecuador, said chief prosecutor Mario Iguaran.

Under suspicion is Senator Piedad Cordoba. She has helped mediate the release of six Farc-held hostages.

She said her links with Farc were only to help free the hostages.

Mr Iguaran said five other Colombians and four foreigners were suspected of Farc links, including an Ecuadorean politician and a Venezuelan regional legislator and a US academic.

The other two Colombian legislators under investigation are Senator Gloria Ines Ramirez and Wilson Borja, a member of the lower house of the congress.

You'd think that maybe they would focus more on their government's links to terrorism, wouldn't you?

Uribe's Cousin Arrested in Colombia

(With thanks to RickB at Ten Percent for his multi-MOA linked post on the same subject.)

The Colombia/terrorist state story has taken yet another disturbing twist. It has emerged that Mario Uribe Escobar, President Uribe's cousin, has been arrested due to alleged links to right-wing paramilitaries. From the BBC:

A cousin and key ally of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been arrested over alleged ties to paramilitary groups.

Mario Uribe Escobar, who stepped down as a senator last October, denies accusations of criminal conspiracy.

He went to the Costa Rican embassy in Bogota seeking asylum, but his request was turned down.

As he left the embassy, he was taken into custody and driven away in a police jeep.

Mario Uribe is one of the most prominent figures arrested over alleged paramilitary links.

A jailed former paramilitary leader, Salvatore Mancuso, has alleged that he met Mario Uribe several times and was asked by him to support his senate campaign in 2002.


This is merely the latest revelation in a long series of revelations regarding the Colombian government's links to terror (far more than any so-called terrorist state proclaimed by Bu$h). A Colombian government that the UK and the US continue to fund and arm, despite continuous human rights abuses (watch this slideshow for more). It is time for the West to cease arming this nation that is clearly a failed state in the hands of a group of terrorists who have no qualms about murdering thousands of citizens to protect their position in power. It is time that a true terrorist state was confronted for it's crimes against humanity. With the US in it's corner, what are the chances of that?

Democrats Slap Down Free Trade Agreement With Colombia.....For Now

Good news concerning relations between the world's two largest terrorist states:

The US House of Representatives has defied the White House and voted to indefinitely delay action on a free trade deal with Colombia.

President George W Bush sent the free trade agreement to Congress early this week, using a "fast-track" process which requires a vote within 90 days.

The House instead voted to eliminate that rule and suspend action.

Colombia's trade minister, Luis Guillermo Plata, said the vote did not mean the 2006 trade pact was dead.

Of course, this will dismay President Bush who describes Colombia as an 'important ally' (mainly due to the rising influence of Chávez et al). I have little doubt that this is little more than electioneering on the part of the Democrats who only really appear interested in tweaking the legislation a little before allowing it to pass. Having said that, it is a little hypocritical to accuse the Democrats of 'playing politics' when the Republicans have been playing politics with Iraq and the 'war on terror', leading to the deaths of thousands.

In terms of the legislation, Bush has claimed that it is vital as a rebuke to "dictators and demagogues" in Latin America (I can't actually name a single 'dictator' in the region, although rewind to the 70s when US hegemony in the region was in its pomp, and I can name numerous examples). Susan Schwab, the US's trade representative, spat her dummy out and said:

"The House Democratic leadership has now slapped around a major US ally.

"This is the Democratic leadership's version of foreign policy."

What, you mean a (vaguely) more ethical policy?? Surely slapping a major US ally is better to screwing one over (although Blair seemed pretty keen to receive the punishment). Anyway, I digress. If you want to find out why opposing this agreement is so important, either watch this slideshow I have produced (tambien en Español) or watch the following clip by War on Want. Colombia: Pinochet's Chile with a democratic facade.

FARC Allegation Leads to Trade Union Deaths in Colombia

You may remember this story last week:

Foreign office minister Kim Howells was under fire today after making "utterly unfounded" comments which unions say have put the lives of Colombian trade unionists and human rights defenders at risk.

Labour's largest affiliated trade union, Unite, called on Gordon Brown to sack Howells unless he apologised over his claims that a trade union-backed organisation, Justice for Colombia (JFC) supported the Farc, a Marxist guerrilla group fighting a war against the government.

On Friday Howells told the Western Mail newspaper: "… Justice for Colombia … supports Farc, a band of gangsters and drug smugglers. Thirty years ago it used to be a revolutionary organisation, but now it's the biggest drugs cartel in Colombia."

However, JFC has highlighted the fact that more than 550 trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia over the past six years by the army and paramilitary death squads that work with them.

JFC has also criticised the UK government for continuing to give military aid to the Colombian army, despite the killings.

Tony Woodley, joint general secretary of Unite, said the minister's comments denouncing JFC, had put local trade unionists and human rights workers in "real danger".

The latest developments in Colombia underline quite how much damage Kim Howells has done to the trade union movement in the country. It has now been claimed that four trade unionists have been murdered as a result of the Colombian government making accusations about supposed links to the FARC. The following is taken from a press release by Human Rights First:

Four Colombian trade unionists--some of whom were reportedly associated with a March 6 demonstration protesting state and paramilitary human rights violations--were killed between March 4 and March 11. Members of human rights organizations have been subject to physical attacks, harassment, office break-ins and thefts of files in the past weeks. Over two dozen organizations and individuals received death threats purporting to come from paramilitary groups in the capital, Bogota.

Shortly before the attacks, presidential adviser José Obdulio Gaviria made a series of statements on national radio linking renowned victims’ representative Ivan Cepeda and other organizers of the March 6 protest to the notoriously abusive guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). On February 11, one day after Gaviria first made the statements, the supposedly demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitary group released a statement echoing Gaviria's allegations.

The attempts by the Colombian government to link protestors to the FARC has ultimately led to their deaths. One can only wonder how many others will die as a direct result of Howells' ill-founded accusations. I will be writing to him to press this point and, in the unlikely events that I will receive a reply, I will post it here.

US Goverment to Designate Venezuela as a State Sponsor of Terrorism?

You may remember from one of my earlier posts that I wrote that US experts were looking into the emails that were discovered on laptops belonging to the murdered members of the FARC. This seemed particularly suspicious at the time as Colombia is a well known proxy for the US in South America, and Venezuela has long been in their sights. It has now emerged that US attorneys are looking into the possibility of labelling Venezuela a state sponsor of terrorism. From United Press International:

WASHINGTON, March 10 (UPI) -- A government official said the White House asked attorneys to look into requirements for placing Venezuela on the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism.

The inquiry follows allegations that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's ties with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia guerrillas ran deeper than originally thought, The Miami Herald reported Monday.

The legal review follows Colombia's seizing four computers belonging to a FARC guerrilla leader in a March 1 raid. In them, it was hinted that the Venezuelan government was in the process of providing $300 million in assistance FARC, which officials in the United States and Colombia call a "narco-terrorist" group but Chavez considers a legitimate insurgency.

The U.S. official -- speaking anonymously to the Herald -- wouldn't predict if the discoveries would lead to sanctions, saying the documents' veracity must be corroborated.

If the documents are shown to be true, then "I think it will beg the question of whether or not Venezuela, given Chavez's interactions with the FARC, has ... crossed the threshold of state sponsor of terror," the official said.

Of course, it will be the United States who will determine the veracity of these documents in what will be an entirely self-serving 'investigation'. And the documents themselves?? Well, Greg Palast has discovered that, what a surprise, they are cooked up. From his website:

The US press snorted up this line about Chavez’ $300 million to “terrorists” quicker than the young Bush inhaling Colombia’s powdered export.

What the US press did not do is look at the evidence, the email in the magic laptop. (Presumably, the FARC leader’s last words were, “Listen, my password is ….”)

I read them. (You can read them here) While you can read it all in español, here is, in translation, the one and only mention of the alleged $300 million from Chavez:

“… With relation to the 300, which from now on we will call “dossier,” efforts are now going forward at the instructions of the boss to the cojo [slang term for ‘cripple’], which I will explain in a separate note. Let’s call the boss Ángel, and the cripple Ernesto.”

Got that? Where is Hugo? Where’s 300 million? And 300 what? Indeed, in context, the note is all about the hostage exchange with the FARC that Chavez was working on at the time (December 23, 2007) at the request of the Colombian government.

Indeed, the entire remainder of the email is all about the mechanism of the hostage exchange. Here’s the next line:

“To receive the three freed ones, Chavez proposes three options: Plan A. Do it to via of a ‘humanitarian caravan’; one that will involve Venezuela, France, the Vatican[?], Switzerland, European Union, democrats [civil society], Argentina, Red Cross, etc.”

Now we await the results of this investigation. If Bush has his way, Venezuela could be next to join the infamous 'axis of evil'. A dream come true for many in the establishment who have become disturbed by the recent rise in populist leaders throughout the region. This could lead to increased attempts to destabilise Venezuela and increased support for Chavez's opponents in the country. Just one question. If it only takes a few dubious emails to class Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism, how much more evidence is required to prove that President Uribe runs a terrorist state?

President Uribe Shakes Hands With Correa and Chavez

The prolonged stand-off in Latin America has finally drawn to a close, but not before a continuation of the war of words that has been a feature of this confrontation. Before finally agreeing to shake hands with Correa and Chavez, Uribe continued to make accusations regarding supposed links between President Correa and the FARC. Considering the originator of these remarks, the accusations are laughable. Uribe has well documented links to terrorists within his own country. However, President Uribe finally conceded that the Colombians should not have entered Ecuadorean land and the subsequent declaration noted that President Uribe had apologised for the incursion.

Uribe's humiliation was complete when, after a heated exchange, the Dominican President Leonel Fernandez tried to calm things down by urging Uribe to shake hands with his antagonists (see clip below). You could sense the unease as Uribe made his way round the table to shake hands with Correa and Chavez. There is no doubt about who the overall

winner is as a result of this stand-off. Chavez stood 'shoulder to shoulder' with Correa in the immediate aftermath of the incursion into Ecuador. He stood firm and refused to concede any ground to President Uribe during the entire stand-off. The sight of a humiliated Uribe walking around the table to concede to Chavez is a massive victory for the Venezuelan. Chavez further humiliated Uribe by posing as the peacemaker in the region. According to one report:

Venezuela president Hugo Chavez today asked Alvaro Uribe, president of Colombia, to set aside their differences and work together for peace-

"Let us move far away from war and work for peace," he said, after denying funding the FARC guerrilla.

Such scenes and rhetoric will surely rankle those in Washington who were hoping that this crisis would diminish Chavez's standing in Latin America. After all, this was what the stand-off was really about. An attempt to undermine the leftist leaders in South America and re-assert US dominance in the region. However, America's man has been left to look weak and subservient, whilst the populist leaders (particularly Chavez) have emerged even stronger. Uribe will surely be in for a dressing down by his masters in the White House after this abject display.

What Links Uribe, Exxon and Chevron?

Well, it would appear that they all intend to make hefty capital from the current war of words that is brewing in South America. Uribe, in particular, is desperate to re-assert his terrorist fighting credentials after Chavez's victorious negotiations to have four hostages released from captivity by the FARC. This has particularly hurt Uribe as he has allegedly been on the receiving end of some pretty harsh criticism by the hostages regarding his tactics. The problem for Uribe is that if you remove the terrorist threat you remove his reason to exist. He has no real interest in ensuring that hostages are returned safely and that a peace deal is brokered because, the longer the 'war' continues, the longer Uribe and his kind will be needed in power. Uribe was voted in because he is seen to be tough with the 'terrorists', with no 'terrorists' to fight, why would anyone vote for leaders of his kind? Thus Uribe has been humiliated by Chavez who achieved in a few weeks what Uribe was unable to achieve in six years. By painting Chavez as a friend to terrorists (and terrorists who are seeking a 'dirty bomb' no less), Uribe hopes to diminish his standing amongst Colombians and thus avert the possibility of a Chavez-esque leader emerging in Colombia (something not desired in Washington either).

As for Exxon, their reasons for wanting to see Chavez's reputation damaged in South America is obvious. Venezuela has been embarking on a massive programme of nationalisation and Exxon is not too keen on this development to say the least. To date, the oil giant has refused to enter into partnership with the Venezuelan government and has even gone to the extent of freezing the PDVSA's assets through a UK court. It is now arguing that this should go further and they are now insisting that it should get a global order from a U.K. court freezing $12 billion of Petroleos de Venezuela SA assets since a New York court doesn't have the power. Exxon clearly has much to gain from the 'link' between Chavez and 'terrorism' and the subsequent damage to his reputation that they hope this brings. So what of Chevron? What do they hope to achieve from this stand-off in South America?

Chevron is in the middle of a court battle in Ecuador revolving around the alleged dumping of 18 billion gallons of toxic waste into the Amazon rainforest and abandoning of hundreds of open-air toxic waste pits in an area roughly the size of Rhode Island. This battle has become increasingly dirty as time has gone on. Chebron has repeatedly attacked the court-appointed special master who is preparing the damages assessment against the oil giant. Amongst the many allegations, Chevron are accused of:

.....personal harassment and an ad hominem advertising campaign, coinciding with the mysterious theft of case-related files from the court-appointed special master's office,according to the Amazon Defense Coalition, the organization that represents an estimated 30,000 plaintiffs in the case, including the members of five Amazon indigenous groups.

According to one lawyer on the case, Julio Prieto:

"Chevron is using extrajudicial influence to undermine the one independent expert who is preparing to tell the truth about Chevron's damages in Ecuador."

Cabrera has been the victim of a particularly vicious campaign of intimidation by Chevron. The attacks include:

...the purchase of full-page advertisements in Ecuadorian newspapers suggesting Cabrera is a criminal. Cabrera also has been stalked by a team of 25 Chevron lawyers and private
security agents while he does his fieldwork near Chevron's former production sites in the rainforest. Press releases put out by Chevron mock Cabrera for his middle name, "Stalin."

Most recently, Chevron has filed a motion with a separate Ecuadorian court seeking to depose Cabrera, an action which the plaintiffs consider illegal. Cabrera has also been the victim of a mysterious robbery of his office from where his files on the case were stolen.

Chevron's harassment became so grave that the trial judge ordered security agents to keep Chevron representatives away from Cabrera so he could complete his field work without interference or fear of intimidation.

These are the latest in a long line of examples of Chevron's disregard for the legal process in Ecuador:

The latest charges follow a series of incidents in 2005 and 2006 that called into question Chevron's commitment to a fair trial. These included the creation of a false military report written by Chevron lawyers claiming they were going to be kidnapped, death and kidnapping threats against community leaders active in the lawsuit, and the separate robbery of case-related materials from the law offices of Alejandro Ponce, who works with the plaintiffs.

Chevron also admitted in 2006 that it was making payments to Ecuadorian military officials in exchange for "protection" services during the trial. Several uniformed Ecuadorian soldiers have accompanied Chevron's lawyers to judicial inspection sites, carrying their bags and technical equipment while peering menacingly at members of the local population.

Clearly, an attempt by Colombia and the US to smear President Correa is in the interests of Chevron. By creating evidence that Correa is linked to terrorists in a neighboring South American country, public confidence in Correa will surely be damaged, allowing a more pliable leader to step forward and lead the way. When this is put into the context of recent events in Ecuador (only three presidents since 1979 have served a full-term in the country and the last three were overthrown), one can see that Chevron hope that Correa will be another Ecuadorean leader who fails to complete a full term.

I am not convinced that this confrontation is part of an attempt to launch a military strike on any of the left-leaning nations in South America. However, I am convinced that this is part of an attempt to smear the leaders of these countries and thus strengthen opposition movements in these countries. The US cannot afford another military front opening up and will avoid one at all costs (as will Colombia), their only real option is a political strike which appears very much on the table. Fox News has already been making explicit links between the government of Ecuador and the FARC, claiming that:

"Colombia said documents in Reyes' laptop also indicate that Ecuador' internal security minister met recently with a FARC envoy to discuss deepening relations with Ecuador, and even replacing military officers who might oppose that."

However, it has also emerged that (surprise, surprise) the documents that the Colombian government claims shows that the FARC intended to asssemble a 'dirty bomb', actually show nothing of the sort. From The Guardian:

Colombia said documents found at the base showed rebels wanted to make a radioactive dirty bomb. But the documents it shared with reporters didn't support the allegation, indicating instead that the rebels were trying to buy uranium to resell at a profit.

Still, make enough allegations of links to terror and, eventually, one will stick. One wonders how many other outrageous smears the Colombian government will come out with over the coming days and weeks.

Colombian Lies About Ecuador and Venezuela - Part of Wider US Campaign?

The situation is continuing to escalate in South America. Ecuador and Venezuela have now, according to the BBC, cut all ties with the Colombian government, expelling all Colombian diplomats. Unsurprisingly, the Colombian government have embarked on a massive smear campaign (aided, no doubt, by the US) to damage the reputations of both Chavez and Correa. The following is taken from the International Herald Tribune:

Venezuela and Ecuador sought Monday to make Colombia pay a high price for killing a leftist rebel leader in the Ecuadorean jungle — expelling its diplomats, ordering troops to the border and cracking down on trade across the border.

But Colombia quickly struck back, revealing what it said were incriminating documents seized from the rebel camp that suggest its neighbors have been secretly supporting the leftist rebels' deadly insurgency.

Colombia's national police chief stood by its attack that killed Reyes, and said that documents recovered from his laptop showed Venezuela's leftist government recently paid $300 million to the rebels, among other financial and political ties that date back years, and that high-level meetings have been held between rebels and Ecuadorean officials.

And this shocker: Colombia says some documents suggest the rebels have bought and sold uranium.

"When they mention negotiations for 50 kilos of uranium this means that the FARC are taking big steps in the world of terrorism to become a global aggressor. We're not talking of domestic guerrilla but transnational terrorism," Gen. Oscar Naranjo said at an explosive news conference.

But here is the killer:

Naranjo didn't give any details on when, where or from whom the uranium was allegedly bought. He provided no proof of the payment and wouldn't release copies of the documents, which he said are "tremendously revelatory" and are being examined with the help of U.S. experts.

No prizes for guessing what the US experts might deduce. Of course, most of what Colombia alleges must be taken with a pinch of salt. The Colombian government has a long history of involvement with human rights abuses and paramilitary activity and can hardly be taken seriously when accusing others of dubious activity.

It has also emerged that the Colombian government has also seriously compromised efforts by the French government to release one of the hostages, Ingrid Betancourt. Betancourt is a former Colombian presidential candidate who also holds French nationality and has been the subject of negotiations between the French government and the FARC. The French government's contact had been Raul Reyes, until his murder by the Colombian military. The murder of this key contact has made efforts by the French government to release her even more desperate. French Foreign Minister, Bernard Kouchner told French Inter radio on Monday:

"It is bad news that the man we were talking to, with whom we had contacts, has been killed. Do you see how ugly the world is?"

Ugly indeed when the Colombian government invades sovereign territory to assassinate a key contact for the release of a hostage.

Furthermore, it has also emerged that the Colombian account of events leading up to the murder of Reyes were stretching the truth somewhat. It would appear that the FARC had not launched any attack on Colombia from the camp in Ecuador, contradicting claims by the Colombian government. The following is lifted from a piece on ZNet by Decio Machado:

Images, testimonies of resident and of three guerrillas found alive, ballistic reports and Ecuadorian military intelligence demonstrate the heap of lies of the Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe. According to the Colombian version, the Front 48 of the FARC was being pursued on indication that Reyes would be present in a small settlement called Granada, near the Ecuadorian frontier but still in Colombian territory.

The Colombian Defence Minister, Juan Manuel Santos, indicated that during the operation the Colombian armed forces had been attacked from a FARC camp situated 1,800 metres from the border in Ecuadorian territory. The Colombian air force then located and attacked the guerrilla camp, taking into account the order not to violate the Ecuadorian air space. The Colombian armed forces later went in to ensure control of the place, leaving the Colombian police in charge till the arrival of the Ecuadorian army.

Investigations on the part of the Ecuadorian authorities show there was no combat on the side of the FARC unit which was attacked. With the exception of three of them keeping guard, the 18 killed were asleep in their undergarments; none of the guerrillas had the opportunity of fighting or surrendering. The arms in the camp were piled up. They did not have the chance even to reach for their rifles and grenades; they were massacred while asleep.

The testimonies of the residents of the area, as also the large craters on the camp ground, show that four bombs were launched from Colombian aircraft that entered Ecuadorian territory. According to the investigations of the military intelligence, these were launched from the south of the camp, which is to say that the aircraft had intruded more than 10 km into Ecuadorian territory when the attack began.

After the bombing from these aircraft, several ‘Supertuscan’ helicopters of the Colombian air force came in and from these the attack on the FARC camp in Ecuadorian territory continued. The helicopters landed special commandos who finished off the injured guerrillas. As the bullet wounds in the bodies of the majority of the guerrillas show, many of them were piled up in a part of the camp and killed from behind. Even the photographs taken by the Colombian government of Raul Reyes’ body show he had a shot on the left side of his face.

Information coming from Ecuadorian military intelligence indicates that the country’s air space was not only violated on the dawn of March 1 but also that on the dawn of March 2 there was another incursion of the helicopters with night vision equipment to pick up members of the armed forces and Colombian police still in Ecuadorian territory. The position of the trees brought down by the bombardment, the multiple bullet holes on them, as also the position of the bodies, demonstrate that while the FARC was guarding the camp on the northern side facing the Colombian frontier, the air incursion happened from the south, which indicates that the Colombian air force intruded without permission or notification, contravening all international norms about Ecuadorian air space.

The testimonies of the area’s residents indicate the attack lasted from approximately after midnight till six in the morning of March 1. The precision of the attack also shows the use of important military technology which puts on the table the possibility of the participation of the United States in the massacres, at least in spotting the guerrilla unit.

It would certainly appear that the US has it's hands all over this one. What with the combination of military intelligence/hardware and the 'experts' who are analysing documents at the scene that supposedly link Venezuela and Ecuador with what the US calls a 'terrorist organisation', could we possibly see a widening of the 'war on terror'?? Could the United States be on the verge of turning it's attention back on to it's own backyard and launching a new vicious campaign to turn back the "pink tide" sweeping South America?? Perhaps this re-assertion has become more desperate as a result of Ecuador's recent decision not to renew the agreement with the US to utilise the Manta air base as part of the Plan Colombia strategy. Whatever, the US government is clearly concerned about it's weakening hegemony in the region and is prepared to step up efforts to ensure it is the dominant player in the region once more.

See also:

Ecuador Rising - Hatarinchej - The people of Ecuador are rising up to refound their country as a pluri-national homeland for all. This inspiring movement, with Ecuador's indigenous peoples at its heart, is part of the revolution spreading across the Americas, laying the groundwork for a new, fairer, world. Ecuador Rising aims to bring news and analysis of events unfolding in Ecuador to english speakers. [Added to blogroll]

UPDATE

It now appears that President Uribe is calling for Chavez to be charged by the International Criminal Court for "financing genocide". Yes, you did read that correctly. The President of a country in which paramilitaries are free to roam the country and murder trade unionists with impunity is attempting to have Chavez prosecuted for genocide. Perhaps if the ICC is to look into Uribe's ridiculous claims, it might also take serious action against the Colombian government for allowing union members to be murdered with impunity.

Ecuador Sends Troops To Colombian Border

It would seem that Ecuador has sent troops to the border with the world's leading terrorist state:

Ecuador and Venezuela have moved troops to their borders with Colombia in an escalating row over the killing of a Farc rebel leader in Ecuador.

Ecuador and Venezuela have also both expelled Colombian diplomats.

Colombian troops entered Ecuador on Saturday in a raid that killed Colombian rebel leader Raul Reyes.

Of course, the Colombian government is talking of it's sisterhood with a neighboring South American country but they have never been that concerned about their neighbours in the past. On the contrary, Colombia is seen by Washington as crucial to re-asserting ideological dominance in the region. It is unlikely that further action will be taken by Venezuela or Ecuador, but the current situation is sure to be used as an example of the danger that the left-wing tide poses to US interests.

Alex James - I Support President Uribe

Yes, I perhaps should have been unsurprised by the rather superficial nature of the Panorama investigation fronted by Alex James of Blur (not a band that have ever been to my taste, I despised Britpop, anyway, I digress...). The programme essentially put out the message that, like, cocaine is wrong man. People, like, die and stuff. Well fuck me, do I really need some washed up pop star from an overrated pop band to tell me that? No, I fucking didn't mainly because I have the odd brain cell knocking around inside my head something that many pop stars seem to be sadly lacking (perhaps due to all the charlie that happily inhale up their noses - which is in turn an attempt to cover up the stench of the god awful shite they trot out).

One of James' pearls of wisdom was his description of 'Plan Colombia' as 'controversial', although there was no explanation why this might be (apart from a fleeting visit to one farmer's banana crop that had been ruined by the random spraying - well, I say 'random'). No mention whatsoever of the catastrophic effect that this policy has had on the people living in rural parts of Colombia, not to mention neighboring countries in South America. Yes, clearly Plan Colombia is 'controversial', perhaps James should win an award for biggest understatement of the century. However, one other moment really underlined how out of his depth the WigWam star really was.

James practically wanked himself into a frenzy over his audience with President Uribe. The sense that James was rubbing his crutch during Uribe's impassioned pleas was palpable. So much so, I just wished he would just ejaculate over Uribe's face and get it over with. Impartial broadcasting at it's best by the BBC. Then came the piece de resistance. After his brief interview/orgasm, James announced that 'I support this man' and claimed that he was exactly what Colombia needed. This, if nothing else, was evidence enough that charlie really fucks you up permanently. No mention of Uribe's well documented links to terrorists in Colombia, no mention of how Colombia is perhaps the world's leading terrorist state. No, just James giving Uribe some cheese before bending over before him and allowing Uribe the privilege of ramming his...........

Now, I know this has come across as rather flippant and cynical of what James was trying to do and, well, it is. While it is laudable that James was brave enough to confront the consequences of his actions (unlike some of his pampered contemporaries), he could have looked into the circumstances a little harder (although, granted, with the new 30 minute running time, it is hard to imagine any subject being covered in depth on Panorama anymore). Presented with a golden opportunity, James could have confronted Uribe on his support for terrorists that also rely on the coke business. Instead, he was unquestioning in his support of a leader who has extensive links to right-wing paramilitaries. In the hands of a more experienced documentary maker, this could well have been an insightful, thought provoking piece on the situation in Colombia. Instead, it was rather like much of James' musical output over the past few years - undemanding and uninspired. God I hated Blur and their Britpop buddies.

Javier Correa and the Impunity of Murderers in Uribe's Colombia

Sometimes, and only sometimes, one forgets the blatant hypocrisy at the heart of the so-called 'War on Terror'. But then one reads of the latest developments in Colombia (a close ally of the Bush White House) and it all comes flooding back. Although, given the nature of the mainstream media, it is hard to get any facts on the link between Bush and terrorism (you could do worse than watch this to get a basic understanding of the links between Bush and terrorism).

The following is taken from the United Steelworkers Union:

The USW president expressed grave concern for the lives of several members of the SINALTRAINAL union in Colombia, naming leaders from Bucaramanga as Javier Correa, Luis Eduardo Garcia and Jose Domingo Florez. Describing a tide of paramilitary re-mobilization, Gerard cited an explicit threat written by the Black Eagles, who said they would “bury the union members and their families in a mass grave on Christmas Day if they do not cease their union activities and leave the area.”

Gerard related an incident on Sept. 27 involving the son of Florez, who was picked up by presumed paramilitary gunmen, thrown into a van, beaten and told they won’t stop until his father is dismembered.

According to Amnesty, the full letter read:

"All orders are followed - communist guerrillas trade unionist facade - Javier Correa, stop your ideological discourse - you must leave the department - if not we will be obliged to carry out the military objective and at Christmas we will hand over the bodies of your families in a mass grave."

The letter bore the acronym of the AUC.

It is worth putting this into context. In 2006, 78 unionists were murdered in Colombia, over half the total global union murders. Despite these horrific figures, impunity for the murder of unionists is around 98%. Taking 2006 as an example, only three convictions were secured against the 78 murders. Furthermore, if one were to examine the period 2004-6, a period that witnessed the murder of 236 trade unionists, there were only five convictions. And if one was take the broader picture throughout Uribe's presidency, the picture is even bleaker. Since coming to power in 2002, there have been nearly 400 murders and only ten convictions (these figures come from a non-governmental organisation often cited by the American government). Taking all of these figures into account, as well as the figures pre-dating Uribe's presidency, the conviction rate stands at a pathetic 1.9%. No wonder Colombia is frequently described as 'one of the world's most dangerous places for trade unionists'.

Of course, these figures are even more disturbing when you take into account the many links between President Uribe and the terrorists responsible for this bloodshed. There is a video that has been circulating in Colombia for some time now that shows the future president meeting with one of the leaders of the AUC. There have also been frequent allegations of links between these terrorist organisations and the Colombian government. The former foreign minister, Maria Consuelo Araujo, was forced to resign due to the arrest of her brother and the investigation of her father for deals with terrorists.

With such a background, it is little wonder that union members are subjected to the kinds of disgraceful threats that face Correa and Florez. These threats will undoubtedly continue as long as the British and American political establishments turn a blind eye to the behaviour of the Colombia government and provide substantial financial and military aid. No wonder the Colombian government and the US administration embarked on a mass PR campaign in the 90s (with the involvement of Mark Malloch Brown - a key ally of Gordon Brown), there is certainly much to hide from the eyes of the general public.

You can take action in support of Javier Correa by visiting the Amnesty International Action page here.

More Evidence of Uribe's Links to Paramilitaries?

The scandal rumbles on. From the Miami Herald:

A lawyer for a U.S. labor union has asked the State Department to investigate the infiltration by Colombia's illegal paramilitaries into President Alvaro Uribe's first electoral campaign, based on a video showing then-candidate Uribe meeting with a group that included a man identified as a paramilitary leader.

The video, a copy of which was obtained by El Nuevo Herald, does not indicate that Uribe was aware one of the men at the meeting was a paramilitary leader. It appears to be a campaign event, and the dozen or so other participants identify themselves as civic leaders from the city of Barrancabermeja.

From the images and the date that appears on the video, the meeting was held Oct. 31, 2001, during a campaign stop by Uribe in Puerto Berrío, near Barrancabermeja.

The paramilitary man at the meeting was identified by human-rights activists from Barrancabermeja as Frenio Sánchez Carreño, second in command of a unit of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, the paramilitaries' umbrella group. The man identified as Sánchez does not speak on the video.

Sánchez was arrested less than two months after the meeting in an operation announced at a news conference by Colombia's version of the FBI, the Administrative Security Directorate. Then-agency Director Germán Jaramillo said Sánchez, also known as Comandante Esteban, was wanted on charges his unit had murdered some 80 people in the previous two years.

Time to call an end to the corrupt regime that governs Colombia, the links with various paramilitary leaders is becoming all too apparent. However, it is not only elected officials that are tainted by links to terrorists, big business also stands accused of links to terrorism:

Relatives of 22 Colombians killed by militants in their country's banana-growing region claim in a lawsuit that Chiquita Brands International and Chiquita Fresh North America financed terrorist groups that killed innocent civilians.

Attorneys for the relatives filed the lawsuit Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale. They claim Chiquita's payments to guerrilla groups between 1997 and 2004 helped fuel the region's volatile guerrilla warfare and led to the 22 deaths. The victims are mostly banana workers and include an 8-year-old child. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

So, when is the 'war on terror' due to hit Colombia, the worlds leading terrorist state?

More Evidence Of Colombian Government's Ties to Paramilitaries

From the Houston Chronicle:

ITAGUI, COLOMBIA — As the razor-wired gates slid open, an armored SUV escorted by police sharpshooters on motorcycles roared out of the prison yard.

The motorcade is part of the morning routine at this mountainside penitentiary. One by one, jailed leaders of Colombia's paramilitary death squads are whisked off to court to confess their crimes.

Their testimony has confirmed what many have suspected all along: that the cream of Colombian society — senators, business leaders, army generals — promoted and financed the paramilitaries, who committed hundreds of massacres during their 20-year dirty war against Marxist guerrillas and became major cocaine traffickers in the process. More revelations about the links between the outlawed gunmen and the country's elite are expected in the coming weeks.

"Do you think an irregular force of 17,000 fighters armed to the teeth could move throughout the country without anybody knowing? Without anybody collaborating?" paramilitary leader Ivan Duque asked in a jailhouse interview.

"That's why I call this a country of hypocrisies," he said, "a society of lies."

The most damaging allegations were leveled last week by Salvatore Mancuso, the commander-in-chief of the now-demobilized paramilitary army, during three days of testimony that shook the government of President Alvaro Uribe, the Bush administration's closest ally in Latin America.

Mancuso accused small-town mayors, big-time congress members and Uribe's vice president and defense minister of collaborating with the gunmen.

He described active-duty police officers piloting paramilitary helicopters packed with cocaine. He said businesses ranging from Colombia's state-run oil company to U.S. banana exporters regularly paid the paramilitaries for protection from the guerrillas.

What's more, Mancuso laid much of the blame for the outlawed militias' expansion at the Colombian government's feet.

Colombia - A Terrorist State

This is the story of a country that is run by terrorists with the financial support of the Bush regime. This is the story of Uribe's Colombia. (Also in Spanish.)

Colombia - Un Estado Terrorista

Esta es la historia de un país regido por terroristas con la ayuda financiera del régimen de Bush. Esta es la historia de la Colombia de Uribe.

The Next Stage in 'War on Terror'?

Remember all the tough talk about the 'war on terror'? Remember when Bush said this:

"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."

This signified a shift in American foreign policy. From now on, any state that works with terrorists will be forced to face the consequences. Well, there is one state that, according to the CIA, has strong ties with terrorist organisations and has been involved in countless human rights abuses. I'm not talking about Iran, I'm talking about Colombia.

In the latest in a long line of revelations about the Colombian government, it has emerged that the CIA has 'obtained intelligence alleging that the head of Colombia's U.S.-backed army collaborated extensively with right-wing militias that Washington considers terrorist organizations'. According to the Los Angeles Times:

The intelligence about Montoya is contained in a report recently circulated within the CIA. It says that Montoya and a paramilitary group jointly planned and conducted a military operation in 2002 to eliminate Marxist guerrillas from poor areas around Medellin.

At least 14 people were killed during the operation, and opponents of Uribe allege that dozens more disappeared in its aftermath.

The intelligence report includes information from another Western intelligence service and indicates that U.S. officials have received similar reports from other reliable sources.

What complicates this matter further is that the US, alongside the UK, gives a vast amount of aid to Colombia ($700 million in the case of the US). In short, the American government is funding a terrorist organisation. A terrorist organisation that effectively runs Colombia. A terrorist organisation responsible for the deaths of thousands of Colombians. All the time receiving financial support by the American government, financial support that is unlikely to be cut off.

It would seem that under the authority of the Bush Doctrine only one course of action is possible. If those who support terrorists must be confronted, alongside the terrorists themselves, it would appear that there is only one logical conclusion to this situation. A 'coalition of the willing' must be assembled to invade Colombia and install democracy free from the influence of terrorists that threaten the stability of the region. Once that has been achieved, it is time to promote regime change in the states that continue to support the terrorists. A new kind of freedom, freedom from tyrannical regimes, can then spread across the globe. Now, all we need is someone to lead this 'coalition of the willing'. Anyone have any suggestions?

Long May We Prosper

Whilst everyone works themselves into a frenzy about the redistributive powers of our Chancellor, we get a little insight into what our taxes are paying for. How about this for example:
New figures released today by campaign group Justice for Colombia show that 84 trade unionists were murdered in Colombia in 2006. This marks a 20% increase on the number assassinated in 2005.

But what's that got to do with our taxes, I hear you ask. Well, along with the US, we provide a certain degree of financial support to America's favourite franchise state (approximately £1 million, plus 'lethal military equipment'). As recent events have shown, there is an indisputable link between the Colombian government, and the paramilitary groups that are responsible for these murders. Aren't we supposed to be fighting a 'war on terror'?

According to the report:

The figures, which are sourced from Colombian unions, show that teachers and agricultural workers were hit particularly hard: 40 of the 84 people killed were teachers and 11 were agricultural workers.

Although most of the culprits have never been identified, figures from the Colombian Commission of Jurists show that the vast majority of political assassinations were committed by the state and right-wing paramilitaries, often acting in collusion.

Carlos Rodriguez, President of the CUT – Colombia’s main union confederation – said: “Since the CUT was founded in 1986, there has been a campaign against trade union activity and more than 3,000 trade unionists have been assassinated. There is no other country in the world where trade unionists suffer such violence.”

While Brown talks about 'prosperity and fairness for Britain's families', he ensures a nice little chunk is used to spread poverty and murder throughout Colombia. But hey, fuck it, at least it's built on:

'...the foundation of the longest period of economic stability and sustained growth.'

I feel better already.

America's Weapon of Choice?

In Noam Chomsky's latest work, Failed States: The Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy, he argues that America is beginning to resemble a failed state. He argues that as the state begins to regard itself as beyond domestic or international law and unable to protect its citizens from violence, it no longer operates as a state. I would argue that not only is America a 'failed state' it is also a terrorist state, a state that has succeeded in the proliferation of terrorism across the globe, a state whose so-called 'War on Terror' diverts the attention of the masses whilst it focuses on it's own 'War of Terror'. These tactics by the US, ensure that any substantive war against terrorism will never be won whilst the standard bearer is the prime sponsor. There is perhaps no finer example of the American government's support for terrorism than in it's continued financial support of Uribe's government in Colombia.

Since 2000, the US government has spent over $4.7 billion in Colombia, ostensibly to support the fight against drugs and the insurgency. Plan Colombia was originally proposed by former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana Arango to end the ongoing armed conflict that was crippling the region. Much of the funds were channelled into the fumigation of coca fields, which have had an adverse affect on the local population. This programme of financial aid has also led to the strengthening of the right-wing paramilitaries in Colombia, with many groups supporting the Plan Colombia initiative. The atrocities committed by the paramilitaries are well documented (see 'Colombia' label), there have been various union officials murdered or 'disappeared' throughout the country over the past five years. The Colombian government has, however, done little to combat the activities of the paramilitary groups. In fact, government forces have often failed to deal with the paramilitaries, even when it is clear that violations are being committed.

Furthermore, it would appear that it is more than just failing to challenge the paramilitaries on their activities. It has become obvious that many paramilitary groups are particularly close to the government in Colombia. The current political scandal in Colombia has led to many resignations and arrests. At the heart of the scandal has been the family of the former Foreign Minister. So far, the father of the former Foreign Minister has been arrested and her brother has been jailed as a consequence of their links to paramilitary organisations. The former director of the secret police (and Uribe's former campaign manager) was also charged with murder and collaborating with right-wing militias. And now, prosecuters have filed electoral fraud charges against Trino Luna, the governor of the influential coastal state of Magdalena. Luna was the only candidate in the 2003 Magdalena gubernatorial election and prosecutors suspect him of colluding with paramilitaries to intimidate any would-be opponents.

There is no doubt that terrorist organisations have infiltrated the very heart of the Colombian government. As that is clearly the case, there seems little doubt the likelihood that a large proportion of the money from Plan Colombia is making it's way to the terrorists. American and, to a lesser extent, UK tax payers are essentially funding the terrorist activities of the paramilitary groups in Colombia. While talking the talk on fighting terrorism, our brave leaders are also funding the terrorist activities of right-wing military groups in Colombia that have been involved in the deaths of over 4,000 trade unionists in the last 15 years. That's the equivalent to TWO September 11th attacks on Colombia. And we have contributed towards this death toll through our taxes. How hollow does the 'War on Terror' sound now? Now that it is clear that the Colombian government is dominated by terrorists and terrorist sympathisers. It sure doesn't sound like we are waging a war on terror, it sounds to me like we are giving material support to terrorists. But our support for terrorism doesn't end there.

Not content with giving succour to terrorists in South America, the American government has also taken upon itself to support terrorism in the Middle East. You would think they had learnt the lessons of September 11th, but it appears not. As was reported at the end of February, the US government is trying to encourage the seeds of discontent in Iran in an effort to destabilise the country and halt their nuclear ambitions. CIA officials have been helping opposition militias in the border regions of Iran. These groups are known to use terrorist tactics to further their goals in the country. According to The Daily Telegraph:

In the past year there has been a wave of unrest in ethnic minority border areas of Iran, with bombing and assassination campaigns against soldiers and government officials.

Such incidents have been carried out by the Kurds in the west, the Azeris in the north-west, the Ahwazi Arabs in the south-west, and the Baluchis in the south-east. Non-Persians make up nearly 40 per cent of Iran's 69 million population, with around 16 million Azeris, seven million Kurds, five million Ahwazis and one million Baluchis. Most Baluchis live over the border in Pakistan.

This is, of course, part of the fall-out from the invasions of Iraq and South Lebanon by the US and her proxy. Iran has been undeniably strengthened by these foolish acts, and now the US wants to re-assert it's authority on the region. If that means supporting terrorism, so be it. Despite the fact that any attack would play right into the hands of al-Qaeda (an enemy of both the US and Iran), the US government is still keen to fund these terrorist organisations in an effort to destabilise the Iranian regime.

Behind the facade of the 'War on Terror', it is clear that terrorism is still the American government's weapon of choice. The arrest of eight pro-Uribe congressman accused of collaborating with right-wing paramilitaries clearly suggests that the right-wing paramilitaries have infiltrated the very highest echelons of the Colombian political system. Effectively, the US and UK governments are guilty of financing the terrorist organisations through the military aid given to Uribe's corrupt regime. Until the Colombian government is purged of all paramilitary elements, financial aid should no longer be provided. If one makes a stand on fighting terrorism, one must take a stand on all terrorist organisations, not just the ones that oppose your world view. The decision to provide material support for terrorists in Iran simply underlines the double standard at the heart of the US government. Has the 'War on Terror' ever sounded so specious?