Colombia refuses to come clean on US bases and stalls UNASUR debate
VHeadline.com
September 16, 2009
By Patrick J. O’Donoghue
The meeting of Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) defense and foreign ministers in Quito has ended without any general consensus on military agreements with non-UNASUR countries.
Colombia, whose allowance of US military bases in its territory is under question, refused to provide member nations with firm guarantees that the US presence in Colombia would not filter across the border into neighboring countries.
Venezuelan Executive Vice President, Ramon Carrizalez said the meeting stalled when Columbia refused to provide information that would tender greater “transparency and generate a line of confidence.” The Venezuelan position is that the agreement between Colombia and the USA means strengthening the USA’s strategic capacity in the region and is a direct threat to Venezuela and its oil installations.
Venezuela’s purchase of weapons from Russia was reviewed by member nations and the Venezuelan government insisted that the weapons are to defend its borders from attacks by US and Colombian forces, owing to the seven bases where the US will install military aviation and equipment. …
