Posted on 11/08/2009 7:06:07 PM PST by bruinbirdman
Says his country's soldiers should be ready if the United States attempts to provoke a war between the South American neighbours.
Mr 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," Mr 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 US troops greater access to military bases as a threat to regional stability.
There was no immediate reaction from either the Colombian or US 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 build-up was necessary to increase security along the border.
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
why would 0bama want to provoke a fight with his mentor hugo?
Everything else is going to shi*. Why not add another jerk to the party?
I think Hugo is going to start something, he thinks Obama is weak and he can grab the oil and natural gas of Columbia where the Rebels want to live under communism.
GMTA. Every time I open FR at work I wonder (aloud) what Hussein has broken in the last couple hours.
Has Obama read that book yet that his uncle Hugo gave him last time they met? “Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the Pillage of a Continent”
“I think Hugo is going to start something, he thinks Obama is weak...”
Agree that Hugo is revving up for a rumble. I think he is trying to push Obama into doing something stupid that he (Hugo) can use for some extensive chest thumping. A Bay of Pigs sort of thing perhaps.
I guess Colombia could use the oil producing region of the Maracaibo Lake.
Following Hugo is a lot fun...pure Marxist theater.
I just wish that he would attack. We would see a complete ass whooping. Makes for great TV.
I think he counts on Obama doing nothing and actually taking his side in a fight with Columbia.
Lets say, Chavez says Columbia is abusing people in the name of anti-drug operations. Something like that.
He was going to do it though Nicaragua, I wouldn’t say his power to project is nil. As long as he has a friendly base in the region he can do a lot of damage.
I think a lot of things could be settled if conflict spread through this continent, starting in Venezuela.
Correct...he knows Obama would never go against Chavez...birds of a feather...
VZ has never fought ONE war. Columbia’s Military are hardened warriors...they will kick VZ’s azz...this has been a slow go for Columbia to finally bring Chavez to this point...which in the end will rid VZ of chavez.....this conflict with Columbia is a good thing.
Here we go folks. Barry the Weak is about ready to have his first little conflagration. I don’t think Chubby is scared of Barry’s deep thoughts.
When they suit up to go fight Colombia, I hope they take their three-minute showers first. Chavez says that’s enough. He’s taken a shower himself, before, and that did it for him.
Hugo could use the diversion of a cross border war to rally his fast disolving country to some patriotic unity.
yitbos
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