Looks like no August surprise for Obama down south.
"New president vows to cut rebel violence
BOGOTA — Colombia’s long-running conflict with rebels presents one of the biggest challenges to its new president, Juan Manuel Santos, who was sworn in yesterday. Santos pledged to curb rebel violence, create jobs, and mend ties with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Colombia has said guerrillas are using Venezuelan territory to launch attacks and traffic drugs and weapons. There has been increase in attacks by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC (AP)."
Also see: Freedom From FARC
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his new Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, will meet today as the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations between the South American neighbors, officials said Sunday....
--more--"
Related:
"Colombia’s new President Santos, made out of the same rightist mold as his predecessor Alvaro Uribe, faces a difficult choice – continuing as an instrument of US military confrontation and destabilization of Venezuela at the cost of several billion dollars in trade losses and isolation from the rest of Latin America or lessening border tensions and incursions, dropping the provocative rhetoric and normalizing relations with Venezuela. If the latter takes place, the US will lose its last best instrument for its external strategy of “tensions” and psych warfare. Washington will be left with two options: a unilateral direct military intervention or funding of political warfare through its domestic collaborators....
--MORE--"
"New president vows to cut rebel violence
BOGOTA — Colombia’s long-running conflict with rebels presents one of the biggest challenges to its new president, Juan Manuel Santos, who was sworn in yesterday. Santos pledged to curb rebel violence, create jobs, and mend ties with President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. Colombia has said guerrillas are using Venezuelan territory to launch attacks and traffic drugs and weapons. There has been increase in attacks by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC (AP)."
Also see: Freedom From FARC
"Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his new Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, will meet today as the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations between the South American neighbors, officials said Sunday....
--more--"
Related:
"Colombia’s new President Santos, made out of the same rightist mold as his predecessor Alvaro Uribe, faces a difficult choice – continuing as an instrument of US military confrontation and destabilization of Venezuela at the cost of several billion dollars in trade losses and isolation from the rest of Latin America or lessening border tensions and incursions, dropping the provocative rhetoric and normalizing relations with Venezuela. If the latter takes place, the US will lose its last best instrument for its external strategy of “tensions” and psych warfare. Washington will be left with two options: a unilateral direct military intervention or funding of political warfare through its domestic collaborators....
--MORE--"
