In the Midst of Enemies

It is really not much of a surprise that Hugo Chavez and his cronies are out to stop Colombia from aiding the US. Colombian President Uribe, who has gone to great lengths to curb the growth of terrorism and narco-trafficking, has been at odds with the New Left in Latin America since his inauguration. This mostly stems from his friendliness towards the US and capitalism. Not to mention that Uribe has made short work of the FARC guerrillas, those Marxist murderers who are well-received and even supplied by the likes of Chavez, Morales and Correa.

A reenacting of the Plan Colombia, which is already on the books, will only allow the US to provide support in counterring drug traffickers and guerrillas. However, the Leftists are up in arms because that means more US troops in the region. Well, perhaps these gentlemen have forgotten their history, but the US has, since 1823, had the right and responsibility to protect the Western Hemisphere, especially from itself. The US has no intention of invading Venezuela, Bolivia or Ecuador...these nations are simply not that important and have no impact on our national interest.

Venezuela has been stocking up on Russian arms for quite some time, and as Chavez threatened to invade Colombia last year, I think it's a great idea for Colombia to gain a little troop support in order to protect all of the successes which Uribe has achieved for the nation-state. And if Colombia doesn't want to make its plans known to anyone but the US, then so be it, that's their right. The next battle for democracy will most likely take place in Latin America as that is where all of the major world actors are currently setting up shop. It's imperative that the US keep its word and maintain its supportivve relationship with Colombia.