Chavez: War Coming in South America

Venezuelan Leader Sends 15,000 Troops to Colombian Border; Says U.S. May Provoke Continent-Wide War

(AP)  President Hugo Chavez on Sunday ordered Venezuela's military to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying his country's soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the South American neighbors.

Chavez said Venezuela could end up going to war with Colombia as tensions between them rise, and he warned that if a conflict broke out "it could extend throughout the whole continent."

"The best way to avoid war is preparing for it," Chavez told military officers during his weekly television and radio program. Venezuela's socialist leader has also cited a recent deal between Bogota and Washington giving U.S. troops greater access to military bases as a threat to regional stability.

There was no immediate reaction from either the Colombian or U.S. government, but in the past they have denied intentions to start a war with Venezuela and said the base deal is needed to fight the war on drugs and insurgents in Colombia, which is a major cocaine producer struggling with a decades-old internal conflict.

Tensions along the Venezuela-Colombia border have been exacerbated in recent weeks by a series of shootings and slayings.

Four men on motorcycles shot and killed two Venezuelan National Guard troops at a checkpoint near the border in Venezuela's western Tachira state last week, prompting Chavez's government to temporarily close some border crossings.

And last month, Venezuelan authorities arrested at least 10 people in Tachira alleging involvement in paramilitary groups. The bullet-ridden bodies of 11 men, nine of them Colombians, were also found last month in Tachira after being abducted from a soccer field.

The violence prompted Venezuela to send 15,000 soldiers to the border with Colombia on Thursday. Officials said the buildup was necessary to increase security along the border.

Elsa Cardoso, a professor of international relations at the Central University of Venezuela, suggested that Chavez's heated rhetoric — coupled with the recent military deployments — are aimed at turning the public's attention away from pressing domestic problems ranging from rampant crime to electricity and water rationing.

"He's sending up a smoke screen, a distraction," she said.

Colombian rebels have often used Venezuela's border region as a haven to resupply and treat their wounded in recent years, creating friction with Colombia's U.S.-allied government.

Chavez — former army paratrooper who during more than a decade in power has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking to topple him to seize Venezuela's oil reserves — warned President Barack Obama of using his alliance with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to mount an offensive against Venezuela.

"The empire is more threatening than ever," Chavez said, referring to the U.S. government. "Don't make a mistake, Mr. Obama, by ordering an attack against Venezuela by way of Colombia."

Venezuelan opposition leader Julio Borges urged Chavez to hold talks with Colombian officials to ease the tensions.

"Working together is only way to efficiently confront this problem, to finally end the permanent threat from illegal groups such as paramilitaries and guerrillas," Borges said.

[YrStillWrong]

It really tests the limits of agit-prop when a kook like Hugo Chavez is on the loose but the assignment is to rant about GWB night and day.

[U_S_Drug_Addict]

no one has Forgotten Operation Condor foofy

[wyodutch]

America start a war with no justification? Come on now.. That hasn't happened since we sucker-punched Iraq.

[50BMS13]

If the US wants to engage Venezuela through Columbia in a proxy war, it will be done with Drones and B1 bombers with GPS guided bombs. Could you imagine how outraged Chavez would be then? He would be calling the US cowards LOL

[Leonever]

Col"O"mbia

[Cyber998]

People stop being blinded by philosophy and propaganda.

The hostile aggressor here is clearly the Columbian government, they are the ones we should be putting pressure on to stop interfering with their neighbor. Who here would put up with Mexico funding rebel groups in Texas for example?

I dislike Chavez and greatly dislike most middle-eastern leaderships, but that doesn't give us the right to invade and takeover their countries purely to change their domestic policies. In doing so, how are we any different from the Nazi's?

[50BMS13]

The Nazi's were genocidal. The US just helps its friends or its own self serving interests. Some actions of war are necessary....for instance....do you let Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, Libya, have nuclear weapons? I f you let them attain them, you know where they are coming. Change the regime, don't exterminate the people like the Nazi's and we might not see a mushroom cloud in one of our cities. To ignore what is going on in some of these countries that hate the US would be irresponsible.

[Cyber998]

50BMS13, which South American country has nukes or is threatening to invade the USA?

[50BMS13]

Venezuela is seeking Nuclear technology from Iran (what little they have). With Iran and North Korea swapping weapons and technology it is a no brainer that Chavez wants the bomb. Thankfully, this administration won't be in power when it has to be dealt with.

[Leonever]

Col"O"mbian

[bubbadubba]

Argetina said the same thing, attacked the Faulklands and we know how that one turned out.
If Chavez thinks he can take on all of South America, let him try that will be the end of him.
He is just saying this to give the oil futures traders an excuse to jack up oil prices so he can make more money.
It's an old story.

[Hosheen]

"All you have to do is tell the people they are being attacked. Then the government can do anything it wants. It works the same in every country." -- Joseph Goebbels

Let's also remember how Herr Goebbels ended. The same awaits Chavez. He should remember that his neighbor, Brazil, is the 500 lb gorilla in South America and is unlikely to look favorably on any de-stabilizing actions on his part.

[wdh3007]

This idiot is either a drug user and his brain has already been fried from the drugs or he was simply born stupid. To even think BO will do anything that deals with confrontation & aggression is laughable much less provoke an attack. His own worst enemy is his self and those that are in his inner circle that think like him!

[BeckieBest]

What a freakin' lunatic.

Chavez would make a great teabagger.

[jsd330]

Ah yes, when Hugo wants attention he rattles his sabre. He hasen't been in the news as much as Obama has.

[opsurfer]

Juanita_Ossa

Well said. I could not possibly agree more. Our government needs to get us out of the middle east, and back home NOW. The US should support any coalition looking to remove Chavez from Venezuela. We should all be supporting people like Juanita Ossa.

[mejordelahistoria]

I guess getting your arse kicked in iraq and afghanistan wasn't enough.

[hermitdave]

Come on Hugo get real, the United States CIA never ever gets involved in wars in South America. Ronnie Reagan and Ollie North were just trying to sell Iran some weapons stuff. They knew nothing about any right wing death squads. During Nixon the CIA only wished Allende of Chili the best in his election, they had no idea who could have overthrown the government and killed Allende. So Hugo you are dead wrong bashing the spoiled rich kid Crusader George, he was just following orders from his leader Cheney as he saved America from the massive Osama Bin Laden led Muslim army, navy, air force. So lay off those nice people at VIA, they are good Christians who do their best to curb world drugs and help the poor western oil companies make money.

[us_1776]

Right on target.

[Ceres6]

We are witnessing another demented tantrum of this Caribbean jackass. It is not worth to lose sleep about it.

[Juanita_Ossa]

Not a distraction. Although he has huge domestic issues and this might be seen as a cover up, Chavez is too close to Russia, Iran, China, and Colombia is the only country in the northern part of South America that has not fallen to his regime. He is a threat for the hemisphere.

It's not the time to ignore him, but to take him seriously.

WE, THE VENEZUELAN PEOPLE. IT IS TIME FOR US TO RISE UP AGAINST THE TYRANNY

[mejordelahistoria]

another lunatic. Venezuela has no power whatsoever in latinamerica. Colombia is a country run by druglords and has 0 credibility in the entire planet, colombia citizens are stripped naked in every airport and every country tries to kick them out. And this is the ally of the US??

[YrStillWrong]

A psychopath needs his victims to blame themselves for his aggressive behavior. Chavez needs to fight wars against his neighbors and needs to blame the USA for his failure to govern poor Venezuela properly even though he has a fortune in looted oil wealth.

[decotoguy]

strangely I thought you were talking about baby bush,and his fellow criminal, Honest Dick. are you for real,President Chavez is the Aggressor?? maybe you find it OK to flood the world with cocaine as
America find it OK for Afghanistan to flood the world with OPIUM..

[YrStillWrong]

I know, I know, it's just so hard to NOT think about GWB day and night and night and day. It just is and always will be, always always always. And yet when discussing what an evil lunatic Chavez is and how he has damaged the process of government in Venezuela, it would be helpful to at least TRY to minimize how many times GWB is thought about.

[melchg07]

Yawn........

[sincity_q]

Chavez is a banana boat skipper with an army and oil. If the US wanted to interfere, he wouldn't be there.

Now he wants to be the emperor of the Amazon.

Nobody will miss this lunatic when he falls.

[far_point200]

Oh k-rap! Chavez is a liberal socialist too. He's mad Obama is trying to rip his stash off!

[Virgil-1]

Blame the USA!This is good ploy for bail out money.

[far_point200]

No Chavez, Obama is just trying to increase his and his supporters "stash" not "cash". Coke is the standard currency of liberal socialists. He doesn't want your oil, just some more Columbian toot.

[Franco1470]

Ha kevjustice, are you living under a rock somewhere? Since when did dictator not become dictors when freely elected. Freely elected or not, Chavez is a meat head dictator. He personally changed the constitution, the courts, the congress and enacted a state police. He threatens and intimidates anyone who opposes him.

[kevjustice]

No, He acted legally within their constitution. He had the support of their congress which was also freely elected. Neocons cannot accept the fact that any country would freely elect a socialist. In the last 15 years or so many countries in South America have gone center-left.

[Hosheen]

Well Kevjustice, exactly which South American countries have gone center-left? It's easy to may silly claims when you don't bother to offer proof.

I live in Brazil and, when Lula was elected, many predicted he would be too far to the left. But this has not happened. In fact, in the areas of national fiscal policy, social reforms, he has been far more cautious and gradual in changes than anyone before him. Perhaps that's why Brazil has been so successful and the economy here is doing so well.