OAS supports terrorism
Photo from Washington Times/APF
Venezuelan soldiers heading towards Colombian frontier.
The Washington Times’ Sharon Behn reports that the Organization of American States yesterday, nearly unanimously supported FARC’s cross-border incursions into Columbia;
The Organization of American States yesterday defended Ecuador with near unanimous criticism of Colombia for its cross-border strike on a rebel base as the immediate threat of war in the weekend incident faded.
Diplomats from across Latin America gathered in the grand hall of the OAS headquarters in Washington and passed a resolution that defused the crisis and agreed to send a five-member commission to the region to reinforce the reconciliation.
“What we cannot accept is a repetition of this,” said Brazil’s ambassador to the OAS, Osmar Chohfi, “because it is a danger to the peace and security in the region.”
In response to Saturday’s military strike, Ecuador and its political ally Venezuela cut diplomatic relations with Colombia. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez also moved about 9,000 soldiers to the border of Colombia.
Officials said Ecuador sent 3,200 soldiers to its border with Colombia on Monday.
President Rafael Correa last night asked the international community to issue a “clear condemnation” of Colombia for its cross-border military incursion into Ecuadorean territory.
Venezuela’s OAS ambassador, Jorge Valero Briceno, said it was a protective measure to “defend our sovereign territory because we are seeing the war spilling over to the neighbors.”
Long-recognized as a gutless, short-sighted and cowardly organization, the OAS has never been able to condemn terrorist activities throughout the 40-years of FARC history.
One by one, the OAS diplomats spoke out against Colombia’s violation of Ecuador’s sovereignty, then welcomed the negotiated solution to the impasse. Only the United States stopped short of criticizing its regional ally.
Ms. Behn reminds readers of the larger issue here, even though the OAS ignored it;
Colombian officials yesterday released copies of 13 documents they claim were found in a laptop seized from the wreckage of the rebel’s jungle hide-out in Ecuador.
According to the Associated Press, the information suggests Mr. Chavez has been in league with the rebels for more than a decade and reflects deepening rebel contacts with European governments as well as some U.S. representatives who have tried to obtain the release of hostages held by the FARC.
It seems to me that an organization dedicated to peace would at least make some kind of comment in response to Colombia’s evidence against Ecuador’s Correa and Venezuela’s Chavez since we can be reasonably sure that Chavez’ support for FARC wasn’t in the form of an espresso machine.
AP writes that Correa and Chavez aren’t satiated by the condemnation of Colombia;
“The OAS resolution pleases us. We are pleased, but not satisfied,” Correa said, standing beside Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez late Wednesday in Caracas. “This isn’t going to cool down until the aggressor is condemned.”
Chavez, a leftist ally of Ecuador’s president, called Saturday’s attack by Colombia’s U.S.-allied government a “war crime” and vowed to limit trade and investment with Colombia.
“We demand condemnation of the Colombian government for this aberrant act,” Chavez said.
Photo from AP/Yahoo
Chavez continues to threaten to shoot himself in the foot;
In the Venezuelan town of San Antonio on Wednesday, soldiers marched through sugarcane fields with assault rifles, watching children dressed in school uniforms splash their way across the river that separates Venezuela from Colombia.
Despite a statement by Venezuelan Agriculture Minister Elias Jaua that imports and exports worth more than $5 billion a year were being shut down, the military said it had no orders to close the border.
But Chavez said Wednesday night that trade between the two nations is “coming down.”
“We aren’t interested in Colombian investments here,” Chavez said. Colombia traditionally supplies food to Venezuela, but Chavez said that now, “we can’t depend on them, not even for a grain of rice.”
Of course, Chavez’ chest-pounding will only hurt Venezuelans in the end. Daniel at Venezuela News and Views writes;
Chavez is certifiable……..
And Daniel posts this cartoon;
A Venezuelan mother says in the first frame ; “Son, take care of yourself on the frontier”, to which the son replies; “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll send you a letter everyday”.
In the second frame the mother says; “…and if you can, send me some milk, chicken and eggs”.
Tomas Sancio at Venezuelan Politics explains that Chavez’ simplistic solution of buying what he gets from Colombia elsewhere just doesn’t work. Miguel at The Devil’s Excrement writes that Chavez has threatened to nationalize Colombian companies operating in Venezuela. Quico at Caracas Chronicles quotes the UN Security Resolution that justifies Colombia’s actions last weekend.
Category: Politics
As I see it, what the OAS statement means is that now the whole issue has been sent to committee, which in turn means it’s cooling down.
Thank you for the link!
Hello, Fausta and welcome. Although I agree that things seem to be cooling down somewhat, the OAS has left unanswered the evidence that the Uribe Administration has presented against Correa and Chavez – and I’ve noticed that Evo Morales (el tercer chiflado) is oddly silent. The OAS has only considered the evidence against Colombia and not the mitigating circumstances.
This is pretty appalling, isn’t it, when the OAS backs the terrorists? Columbia is a country under siege from an alliance of drug lords and communist insurgents. They kill a terrorist right across the border and everyone condemns…them.
Sign.