President Hugo Chavez ordered Venezuela's military on Sunday to prepare for a possible armed conflict with Colombia, saying the country's soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the South American neighbors.
"The best way to avoid war is preparing for it," Chavez told military officers standing at attention during his weekly television and radio program.
Repeating an often-used military adage, he added, "If you want peace, prepare for war."
Chavez told his supporters that President Barack Obama holds sway over Colombia's government, and he cautioned the U.S. leader against using his allies in Bogota to mount a military offensive against Venezuela.
"Don't make a mistake, Mr. Obama, by ordering an attack against Venezuela by way of Colombia," he said.
The former paratroop commander voiced concern over an agreement between Bogota and Washington giving the American military personnel more access to Colombia's military bases through a 10-year lease agreement.
Chavez also reiterated what he said is his fear that U.S. soldiers could use the bases as launching pads for an attack on his country to seize control of its immense oil reserves.
Colombian and U.S. officials say the agreement is necessary to more effectively help Colombia's security forces fight drug traffickers and leftist rebels — not mount military strikes against Colombia's neighbors.
On Thursday, Venezuela sent 15,000 soldiers to the border with Colombia, saying the military buildup was necessary to increase security along the border, combat drug trafficking and root out paramilitary groups.
The deployment follows a series of shootings and slayings that have heightened tensions between the two countries. (AP)
Andrewmann552
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... It shouldn't surprise anyone that the U.S. would use Colombia as a base to attack Venezuela. Major powers have always done this with revolutionary governments. The French Revolution was assaulted by most of the neighboring monarchies, the US and British used Russia's neighbors to invade and attack the Bolsheviks, the US funded Saddam Hussein's invasion of Iran in the 1980s and on and on and on. You don't have to agree with these regime's ideaologies to see the historical pattern. |
Laureles191
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... Only a complete fool would even think that Obama would attack Venezuela. I suppose time is the only thing that will make these crazy people realize they're crazy, when no attack takes place. This is just laughable. More propaganda from Mr. Chavez to try to take the publics attention off of real problems at home. Good strategy. If anything its a cover up so that Venezuela can continue supporting the FARC at the border. |
azunoman
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... good lawd...the US would not base out of Colombia to attack Venezuela....we just park a couple nuke carriers and bomb Chavez....done and over with in a flash....US citizens think Venezuela is a much cooler country than Colombia....Between Venzuela and Brazil it's a toss up who has the best porn.... Chavez must think the US even gives Venezuela a second thought.....they don't...nor do they really think about SA in general....even his rhetoric is hardly reported in the US mainstream media.... good night |
Adriaan
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... @ Andrewmann, Don't be silly. The Venezuelan government isn't a revolutionary government, it just uses revolutionary rhetoric. Completely different thing. If Chavez was smart he wouldn't be sending troops, but actually start a normal relation with Colombia making sure he has some support in the region. (The same goes for Uribe, the guy is completely isolated in Latin America, which is a very unhealthy situation and economically dangerous) |
tomtom33
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... Methinks that Andrew and Hugo are smoking the same thing, and it is not tobacco. Venezuela doesn't amount to a pimple on the ass of the US. One minute people talk about the US not doing enough to help SA(which is probably more correct). The next minute some crack pot talks about a US invasion? No lo creo. |
Andrewmann552
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... TomTom, Laureles, I imagine you would have said the same thing about Cuba in 1960, it was a tiny island compared to Venezuela, with no key reserves of oil, but invasion plans were immediately drawn up. Now I know you might say "but that was the Cold War," but when the Bay Of Pigs was being planned Castro had not even declared the Revolution as socialist, and Cuba did not have the military alliance it formed with the USSR AS A CONSEQUENCE of US aggression. The same thing goes with Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala and Juan Bosch in The Dominican Republic. Iran right now it is a major target for being disobedient. This is why it is important to read history, documentation, scholarship etc., don't just spin it off the top of your head. Adriaan, I understand Venezuela isn't a revolutionary country in the sense of previous revolutions, but Iran isn't exactly practicing worker's control or anti-capitalism, but the US and Israel are starting a whole storm over the country because it refuses to follow orders. |
tomtom33
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... Had the US wanted to invade Cuba, it could have done so very successfully. JFK ran with Ike's plan to aid Cuban expats in their invasion. However, JFK would not allow the air cover called for in the plan. Cuba is 90 miles from the US and that was, indeed, the height of the Cold War. The situations are far from analogous. |
Osorno
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... I think Hugo Chávez, is simply someone that power has got to his head, and for this reason, he can not control his comments or even his behaviour. He is paranoid, and he keeps trying to justify it. I think if he provokes a war with Colombia, he will definitely be the looser as the American interest in Colombia to conduct counter-narcotics and counter-terrorism operations in the country will be a reason to support colombian Government. Revolutionary Hugo Chávez is messing with fire that will definitely burn him and not otherwise. Anyway I hope there would be no war as the poor and innocent are the ones that will pay the price of Hugo Chávez rambling adventure. Besides, why would the U.S purposely make it's historic debt worse and stretch out it's already stretched out army? To deal with a country that barely plays a role in the world stage? Oh well, it seems extremely likely that Chavez is just trying to divert attention from domestic problems with his hot air rambling, while everyone ends up forgetting about it a few months later. After all, he said the same thing in 2007. |
azunoman
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... good lawd people...Chavez is a populist....this is what they do.....and you can rest assured nobody outside of LA really pay any attention to it.... Chirs....the US is provoking Chavez? We don't even think of Chavez...stop blaming the US for all the worlds ill's and leaders.... |
Ivan
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... Isn't saying "The best way to avoid war is preparing for it" like saying "The best way to avoid pregnancy is to pregnancy is to practice fuckin'?" |
