Chavez A "Barking Dog That Doesn't Bite"?

Analysis: War Rhetoric Between Venezuela, Colombia Worrying, But Likely Just Words

(AP)  This analysis story was written by the Associated Press' chief of Andean news, Frank Bajak, in Bogota.

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Judging by the fever-pitch rhetoric, the Andes region was girding for war on Monday. The leftist presidents of Venezuela and Ecuador recalled ambassadors from Bogota and began moving tanks and troops to reinforce their borders with Colombia.

But will this political theater lead to war? Probably not.

Relations have clearly hit a new low between President Alvaro Uribe and his leftist neighbors. President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela warned darkly that Colombia and its U.S. military backers may trigger "war in South America" with commando raids like the one that killed a key leftist rebel commander across the border in Ecuador.

Ecuador's President Rafael Correa called Colombia's "a foul and lying government that doesn't want peace." And even the ailing Fidel Castro weighed in, writing that "The trumpets of war are being heard in our continent's south as a result of the genocidal plans of the Yankee empire."

But there is little appetite for armed conflict in the region, despite Chavez's recent purchases of $3 billion in Russian arms, including 53 military helicopters, 100,000 Kalashnikov rifles and 24 SU-30 Sukhoi fighter jets.

The economic costs, to begin with, are far too high.

Too many people depend on cross-border trade worth $5 billion a year, most of it Colombian exports sorely needed by Venezuelans already suffering milk and meat shortages. Ecuador depends on some $1.8 billion in trade with Colombia.

And militarily, Colombia has become a formidable foe, thanks in large part to $5 billion in aid from Washington since 2000. U.S. military advisers are sprinkled throughout Colombia's military, and Washington could quickly ramp up support if war broke out.

Chavez's critics say his saber-rattling is intended to deflect attention from mounting domestic woes.

"You can't keep playing with the future of this country," said Venezuelan opposition leader Manuel Rosales, whom Chavez defeated handily in the last presidential election. He accused Chavez of trying to "stir up nationalist sentiment to hide the truth of this country, which is falling to pieces."

Chavez's cause also wasn't helped by Colombia's discovery of what it described as damaging documents in three laptop computers seized at the jungle camp of Raul Reyes, the slain spokesman for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Reyes was the rebels' main interlocutor with foreign governments and other emissaries, reporting directly to the FARC's seven-man ruling secretariat, of which he was a member.

According to Colombia's national police director, Gen. Oscar Naranjo, seen at left, the files seized in Saturday's raid are "tremendously revelatory" and are being examined with the help of U.S. experts.

One document, apparently written in February, suggests Venezuela recently gave the rebels $300 million, while another suggests the rebels were shopping for 50 kilos of uranium, said Naranjo.

Still others refer to longstanding ties between Chavez and Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, the top FARC leader, he said. "This implies more than cozying up, but an armed alliance between the FARC and the Venezuelan government."

The documents also show President Rafael Correa has sought to deepen ties with the rebels, Naranjo told a news conference.

Correa called the Colombian charges an insult and broke diplomatic relations with Bogota. "We are confronting an extremely grave situation, confronting a malicious, lying government that doesn't want peace," he said.

Elsewhere on the diplomatic front, Venezuela's embassy and consulate in Bogota were closed and Chavez's government expelled Colombia's ambassador and other diplomats from Venezuela. Latin American presidents pleaded for reconciliation and offered to mediate, and an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States was called for Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

Naranjo did not provide details of the payments, or the uranium claim, and none of the documents were made public.

Both governments rejected the Colombian accusations as lies. Ecuador did, however, acknowledge that its internal security minister met recently with Reyes to discuss helping free hostages.

"Whatever they say has no importance," said Venezuela's vice president, Ramon Carrizalez.

There were some signs of military mobilization on Monday.

Ecuadorean soldiers were helicoptered to their jungle frontier, and Venezuelan border guards turned away all vehicles with Colombian plates at the busiest border crossing between the two countries.

Some Venezuelan tanks were spotted being trucked to the border near the northern port of Maracaibo.

But otherwise, there was relative calm on the ground. Colombia's defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, said no extraordinary military moves were planned, and vowed not to be drawn into a conflict with Chavez.

"I prefer to leave President Chavez out of this discussion," he said. "We're not commenting on what he does, says or suggests."

South America hasn't seen a shooting war among nations since Peru and Ecuador fought for a month in 1995 for long-disputed border valley, leaving about 80 soldiers dead.

Colombia's borders with Ecuador and Venezuela are rugged and porous, crossed with ease by FARC guerrillas, who have been at war with successive Bogota governments for more than four decades.

Colombia has long complained about this to both Ecuador and Venezuela, which have done little to confront the issue. According to rebel deserters recently interviewed by the AP, Venezuela allows FARC fighters to get rest, medical attention and process cocaine for unhindered export to the United States and Europe.

The rebel presence has made many Venezuelans who live near the border uneasy. Chavez's threats have only made these people more anxious. And war fever seemed absent from the streets of Caracas.

"I hope Chavez isn't thinking about the madness of sending our sons to die in an absurd war with Colombia," said Carmen Arellano, a 41-year-old homemaker. "Chavez wants to fight a war to conceal the social and economic crisis in this country."

Venezuelan political analyst Teodoro Petkoff said he doesn't believe war is imminent, despite Chavez's rhetoric: "For me he's a barking dog that doesn't bite."

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Frank Bajak has been AP's chief of Andean news since early 2006. He first covered the region as Bogota bureau chief from 1996-2000.

[irliberal]

Chavez is a barking dog, a mere distraction from the real issues that face the united states. He is best ignored - while we turn our attention to electing a new leader that is not saddled with the corruption and ignorance our current administration carries.

[johngoodnews]

Venezuela is the fourth largest importer of oil to the US behind Canada, Saudi Arabia and Mexico. It''s not hard to connect the policy dots: lax immigration policy (carrot) with Mexico and demonization of Chavez in Venezuela while arming its neighbor Colombia (stick), and kowtowing to Saudi Arabia''s (Bush''s buddies) request to take out its feared enemy, Saddam Hussein''s Iraq. Reality really sucks. And it''s going to suck more if the price of gas in the US gets much higher and the currency devalues even further against the Euro.

[andrew_693]

so. the bush administration is trying to prepare the ground for another military adventure. I guess getting their ar ses kicked in iraq wasn''t enough.

[rushlimpdrug]

"Colombia has become a formidable foe, thanks in large part to $5 billion in aid from Washington since 2000. U.S. military advisers are sprinkled throughout Colombia''s military,"


Gotta protect the drugs coming out of colombia.

[demslie]

Chavez gives money, training and logistics support to FARC terrorists while taking away every human right of his people but, no one Democrat alive is complaining about it. IRAN gives the same to Terrorists in IRAQ and world wide, and yet, as usual, all you read here is the Bush hating Democrats blaming America. The Terrorists can always depend on IRAN, AL Qaeda and Democrats to come up with excuses for their genocide. And this is the "NEW Change for America that Saddam Hussein OBAMA, Hitlery and The Democrats promise us".

[excoachken]

Bush, "A biting dog that doesn''t bark."

[realpatriot1]

The barking dog who nips at the heels and then runs off is a good analogy but I prefer to think of him as a gnat who constantly wipes his feet in *** and then lands on someone''s dinner.

[ourplanet]

sure, we have to protect the drugs coming out Colombia.
How do you think Afghanistan has taken the first place in exporting Drugs."Since the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan''s drug production has increased tenfold" according UN and News media this is a fact. the only growth that has been documented in Afghanistan.
Thanks to bush and his republican criminals.

[cyinzl8r]

How sad that there are people who would rather stand behind this 2 bit dictator then stand with their US leaders. I don''t give a *** if our president doesn''t play fair with this guy. I don''t care if he doesn''t play fair to get oil because this man would and does not play fair either. F'' him. His own people will rise up and do away with him before long and then you can blame that on Bush too. Maybe by then you''ll have to find someone else to blame because Bush won''t be in office much longer. Will you all become silent then? Some how I bet you''ll find someone else to complain about.

[barbarossa_t]

As usual, we detect the black hand of US foreign policy behind all this. ''Military advisors''...CIA. Damning evidence on a ''captured'' laptop...we''ve seen it all before. The media in the US drip-feed this rubbish to a
largely pig-ignorant population, who actually believe it!!
Seems that democracy doesn''t count if the US dislikes the elected represetatives.
No wonder the USA is hated across the world!

[barbarossa_t]

As usual, we detect the black hand of US foreign policy behind all this. ''Military advisors''...CIA. Damning evidence on a ''captured'' laptop...we''ve seen it all before. The media in the US drip-feed this rubbish to a
largely pig-ignorant population, who actually believe it!!
Seems that democracy doesn''t count if the US dislikes the elected represetatives.
No wonder the USA is hated across the world!

[barbarossa_t]

As usual, we detect the black hand of US foreign policy behind all this. ''Military advisors''...CIA. Damning evidence on a ''captured'' laptop...we''ve seen it all before. The media in the US drip-feed this rubbish to a
largely pig-ignorant population, who actually believe it!!
Seems that democracy doesn''t count if the US dislikes the elected represetatives.
No wonder the USA is hated across the world!

[mcvet]

Chavez gives money, training and logistics support to FARC terrorists while taking away every human right of his people but, no one Democrat alive is complaining about it. IRAN gives the same to Terrorists in IRAQ and world wide, and yet, as usual, all you read here is the Bush hating Democrats blaming America. The Terrorists can always depend on IRAN, AL Qaeda and Democrats to come up with excuses for their genocide. And this is the "NEW Change for America that Saddam Hussein OBAMA, Hitlery and The Democrats promise us".


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Posted by demslie at 07:36 AM : Mar 04, 2008
+ report abuse

Typical Nazi! Where did you get your training? It''s classic Fascism at it''s best folks. This bootlicker takes great pain in putting out every bit of propaganda against Chavez to make SURE everyone reading it will hate the man as much as possible. THEN he links him to those in THIS nation who do not support the "Party". Well done bootlicker! I''m sure they''ll have a Iron Cross for you at the next Klan Rally!! Sieg Heil Bush! Sieg Heil Grand Wizard! ROFLMAO Dumb as a box of rocks! ROFLMAO

[realpatriot1]

Barbarossa_1,

I doubt that the CIA used mind control techniques to cause Chavez to move troops to the Colombian border to threaten Colombia(a democracy which international observers recognize as a Democracy, not like Venezuela).

When the military commander of a nation masses his troops at the border of a neighbor because they killed a gueriila fighter based in a third country who was attacking their country they aren''t doing it because they were in any way provoked.

We should be sending the closest battle group we have steaming to the coast of Colombia to show our solidarity with the Colombian people, our allies. If fighting does break out we should provide our ally with surveillance capability and offshore air cover but otherwise remain out of combat.

[barbarossa_t]

Current concerns include: a weakening of democratic institutions, political polarization, a politicized military, drug-related violence along the Mexican border, increasing internal drug consumption, overdependence on the petroleum industry with its price fluctuations, and irresponsible mining operations that are endangering the rain forest and indigenous peoples. This could be an analysis of the USA..but...
This is an extract from the ''Info on Venezuela'' on this web-site. Who writes the info?? The C.I.A. that''s who!! No wonder you Yanks haven''t a scooby to whats REALLY happening in the world!
The eagle-eyed among you will notice that i''ve sustituted Mexico for Columbia.

[barbarossa_t]

realpatriot_1
As i recall, Chavez was re-elected by the people of Venezuela. I don''t recall any ''international observers'' complaining about the democratic process at the time.
You should try reading from other sources, not just the CIA factbook.
Classic CIA tactics...cause trouble with the ally of the target, then blame ''terrorists'' from the target country. Your current foreign secretary has tried the very same thing in the middle east.
Get educated...don''t believe your own propoganda!!

[yongamerica]

One thing that can''t be hidden behind rhetoric: Chavez has no business getting involved in a dispute between Columbia and Ecuador. This is a boarder matter between these two countries only, and does not concern Venezuela.

By getting involved his action confirms what is long suspected, that Chavez as a Guerrilla commander fighting in his country, was in alliance with FARC then and still is now.

[spankchavez]

A paranoid President who cant sleep at night worried of President Bush''s bite. Maybe he should google "US Air Power" before he decides to mess with Colombia

[yongamerica]

"The media in the US drip-feed this rubbish to a
largely pig-ignorant population" - Barbarossa_t

Thank goodness there are people like you seeped in propaganda that comes from little men wearing green suits and baseball caps speaking Spanish in Venezuela and Cuba. With you sharing your privileged information about the truth, others outside your circle jerk can be well informed of what is really going on in your jungles.

[rushlimpdrug]

Posted by realpatriot1 at 09:17 AM

Grow a brain.
Believe the propaganda if you want.

Lot''s of companies are salivating/foaming at the mouth
not willing to wait to much longer to jump in and "save" Venezuela from Chavez'' "grip".

The the real rape of the country will begin.

[spankchavez]

To andrew_693, Didn''t know the USA was getting their A**es kicked in Iraq. I believe the US went in, kicked a** and is still there, kicking a**es

[telecom_1]

CBS News get with the news, Chavez is just been exposed as a drug terrorist, drug terrorists hate America because we resist them. Chavez is funneling dirty money to rebel drug terrorists to the tune of 300 million dollars. Drug terrorists are the cancer of the earth.

[colvinatch]

This guy is almost as delusional and as crazy as bush... almost.

[barbarossa_t]

Ha! I seemed to have struck a nerve there. Now we''ve got all sorts of rabid red-necks coming out of the woodwork!!
God bless America...

[rushlimpdrug]

Chavez is funneling dirty money to rebel drug terrorists to the tune of 300 million dollars. Drug terrorists are the cancer of the earth.
Posted by telecom_1 at 09:54 AM

Maybe drug addicts are the cancer of the earth?


When will Chavez stop funding a business that is losing sooooo much money?

He may want to invest more in oil, the profits are better.

Apparently there isn''t a profit in dealing drugs.

[Scooter68]

Do you buy gas at a CITCO station ?? IF So you are supporting Chavez as certainly as if you were sending direct contributions to his treasury.

Chavez has threatened to cut off oil sales to the US. Interestingly - that is exactly what we should force him to do. Doing so would cripple his economy far faster than ours since very few other countries have refineries that can process Venezulan crude with it''s high sulfur content.

For left leaning environmentalists think about it. Venuzulan crude oil is probably one of the worst varieties of oil for this country to use and while you support the protection of the environment on one hand you support a virtual dictator (Despite his "legal" election.) who is pushing high sulfur crude oil into this country.

Stop and think folks - this petty little creap is actively working to overthrow the government of Columbia. While Columbia may not be a perfectly dreamy country in a variety of ways, it is a soverign nation engaged in a battle to stop drug lords. Those drug lords support and are in turn supported by rebels, funded and supported by both the Ecuadorian and Venzuelan governments.

Think about it the next time you pull up to that Citgo station. You might as well send a check directly to Chavez.

[jjp735i]

All mad dogs bite. You just never know when.

[barbarossa_t]

I don''t think Chavez is silly enough to start a ruckus with Colombia/USA. He''s sending troops along his border to make sure there are no CIA incursions into Venezuela.

[rushlimpdrug]

All mad dogs bite. You just never know when.
Posted by jjp735i at 10:02 AM

Give ANY dog a bad name and the dog will NEVER live it down.

Do you understand jackazz?

[Scooter68]

Barabarossa_t = Hugo? Is that you? What''s the matter little man. Columbia offed your little rebel savage and got you miffed again?
Ah well, guess that''s life in south american fast lane. Why don''t you ask Columbia to provide the laptop hard drive for international review or do you think they would just confirm what has already been announced. Oooooh that would be embarassing. That would make you 3 for 3 in losses now. Lost your power grab in that constitutional reform vote. Lost your little rebel buddy, and being denounced in the UN would be a bit much eh?

[barbarossa_t]

Gscotth
Colombia and the mighty USA haven''t had much success in stopping the drugs flooding out of the country in 25years. As for the sub-standard oil...well i would argue that you Yanks are salivating at the prospect of getting your grubby paws on Venezuelan oil.

[prinzowhales]

Three hundred million? Was it in tens and twenties? If this was on the laptops then one would really expect banking account numbers and an idea as to where the money was located.

The drug cartels have operated unrestricted in Columbia for decades--before Chavez won the presidency of Venezuela...when Bush41 claimed to have "won" the drug war after he and his Cali associates knocked out some of the leadership of the Medellin cartel. Though the right wing death squads that protect the Oligarchy''s cocaine assets have been removed from the limelight due to their propensity to ''death-squad'' villagers, they are still there and nasty as ever.

Chavez was trying to work out a peaceful resolution to the guerilla war in Columbia...he''d won the release of Columbian prisoners from FARC and Uribe and Washington put an end to this peace process.

The idea that FARC wanted "uranium" is clearly out of the Washington propaganda bag where the fascists want to peddle their lame war on terror to an increasingly sceptical public.

[rushman71]

They need to get this dog on a leash. And make sure he is muzzled as well!!! He barks too danm much!!!

[prinzowhales]

I always buy CITGO! I would rather oil company profits go to a company that is helping bring medical care to its people...teachers who are increasing literacy and arms to defend Venezuela and its resources against a murderous, vile and anti-human oligarchy...rather than having the money go to Rockefellar and his pig dogs...Shell...BP...Exxon and the New World Order.

[prinzowhales]

Note well who are allies are--Columbia! Home of the drug cartels and cocaine...Afghanistan! Where we restored opium production and increased it! Mexico! With whom we want open borders so the drugs can flow across with ease! And, of course, Israel...where Ecstasy is king!

[yongamerica]

Prinzowhales you are so full of excrement, your typed words stink

[prinzowhales]

yongamerica--I''m glad you found nothing in my posts that you could refute.

[yongamerica]

What is there to refute about your stink''n pile of poop?

[rushlimpdrug]

What is there to refute about your stink''''n pile of poop?
Posted by yongamerica at 11:25 AM

Poop is good.
It fertilizes.
Your waste is what is polluting the earth.

[Syndicate]

Uribe just called for Chavez to be tried at the international court for supporting genocide. They would appear to have evidance.

[yongamerica]

rushlimpdrug - you don''t want to get me started with you and your moronic ramblings.

[mike71067]

Hugo Chavez is a dork.

[neobrian-2009]

Nobody pays attention to rushdead
He`s just another Propaganda tool of his/her Fearless Leader,..Rove! Bush feces seeps out of every pore of his untanned hide.Let him/her ramble on,..it keeps them away from kids` playgrounds.

[rushlimpdrug]

rushlimpdrug - you don''''t want to get me started with you and your moronic ramblings.
Posted by yongamerica at 11:40 AM


If you wanna try:

First get off the drugs.

Is Yong chineeze or japaneeze?

[rushlimpdrug]

Nobody pays attention to rushdead
He`s just another Propaganda tool of his/her Fearless Leader,..Rove! Bush feces seeps out of every pore of his untanned hide.Let him/her ramble on,..it keeps them away from kids` playgrounds.
Posted by neobrian at 11:47 AM


Wow!
Thanks for the heads-up.

I won''t wast my time with the fool.

[jimmyc1955]

Prinzowhales - in your cart before the horse scenario we could allow more totalitarian regeems to enslave their local populations and thereby quash the drug trade.

But since the drug trade feeds the mostly upwardly mobile, young, middle age and baby boomers bad habits to quell that trade would take the fun out of so many of those parties frequented by the socially elite who support those causes you love so much.

So you tell me if you want to get rid of the drugs start telling your friends to quit take E before they go clubbing, put down the hash pipe before their evening of watching movies on their 50 inch plasma display and stop with the coke to get through another day of over ambitious career building.

[zootallures2]

Chavez wants to fight a war to conceal the social and economic crisis in this country.

Carmen Arellano,
Venezuelan homemaker


Well, move to the United States where you can get shot at a Wendys and your problems will be solved.

[zootallures2]

Chavez wants to fight a war to conceal the social and economic crisis in this country.

Carmen Arellano,
Venezuelan homemaker


Well, move to the United States where you can get shot at a Wendys and your problems will be solved.

And as an added bonus, one of their freedom fries troopers can toss your kids puppy off a cliff before raping his sister.

[barbarossa_t]

But since the drug trade feeds the mostly upwardly mobile, young, middle age and baby boomers.
Jimmyc1955.

That would be about 95% of the population then!!!

[zootallures2]

War? He sent troops there to keep the US Stock exchange/Columbian drug dealers war from spilling into his.