A joint satellite project between Venezuela and China has drawn the attention of the international community. Presidents Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales of Bolivia are shown in this photo.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos
AFP
SAO PAULO— South American presidents are expected to slam a US plan to use military bases in Colombia when they gather for a summit in Argentina at the end of the week specifically to discuss the issue.
The anti-US leaders of Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia have already vociferously criticised the announcement that Washington wanted to expand its military presence in Colombia to access seven bases.
The more moderate presidents heading up Brazil, Chile and Argentina have likewise expressed concern at the decision, first announced last month by Bogota.
The Union of South American Nations summit in the Argentine ski resort of Bariloche on Friday is to examine claims by Venezuela President Hugo Cha-vez that the increased US deployment could be used to invade his country. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is expected to attend the summit.
Chávez: U.S. is trying to control South American resources
CARACAS, August 23—The Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, warned this Sunday that the location of U.S. bases in Colombia is an attempt to dominate all of South America in order to take possession of its natural reserves of gas and oil, vegetation and fresh water located in the Orinoco Belt in Venezuela, Amazonia and the Paraná Aquifer in the Southern Cone.
On August 14, the Colombian government announced the completion of negotiations over the U.S. use of seven bases in that country, within a cooperation agreement supposedly aimed at “combating drug trafficking and terrorism.”
In that context President Chávez affirmed on his regular Sunday Alo, Presidente program, “they say that they are not bases (but) they are converting the whole of Colombia into one large base, because details of the agreement have already begun to come out.”
“The Colombian government has once again betrayed (Latin American) trust by allowing the installation of imperialist military forces,” he stated.
“The agreement is aberrant… the troops will have immunity… they can do what they like, Colombian justice can’t even touch them,” Chávez stated.
According to the Bolivarian leader, Colombia is to become “a U.S. operational center that will allow it to cover all of South America, with its spy planes, spy satellites, its intelligence and counterintelligence corps.”
President Chávez specially emphasized to the Venezuelan people that no “ultra-nationalist or far less anti-Colombian sentiment,” can be allowed and noted that, in fact, “if there’s anything that the Yanki bourgeoisie is frightened of, it is Colombian and Venezuelan unity.” They are afraid of the union of our peoples,” he affirmed.
Translated by Granma International
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