Ten Years of “Plan Colombia”: Bogotá Leases Military Real Estate to the Obama Administration

[bemildred]

Plan Colombia Phase III? Colombia’s neighbors condemn new military agreement

Colombia is likely to become the regional hub for the Pentagon’s Latin American activities and its Fort Apache as U.S. and Colombia near a cooperation agreement that would expand U.S. military presence in the country. The U.S. seeks to increase its influence in Colombia as it counts down the days until its lease expires on the Manta, Ecuador base that Quito terminated on mainly political grounds. The new Colombia agreement is meant to extend the use of seven of the country’s military bases in what is estimated to be a ten year lease arrangement. The agreement is said to also include terms for preferential arms and aircraft sales to the Colombian military. Currently, U.S. military presence in Colombia cannot exceed 800 Department of Defense Employees and 600 civilian military contractors, all of which have immunity for criminal prosecution in the country.

Leaders of a number of Colombia’s neighboring countries have expressed their concerns, as U.S’ expanded military role in the country appears to further besmirch Bogotá’s good name. As a result of the pending accord, Venezuela’s Chávez has removed his Ambassador in Bogotá, stating that the base agreement represents an act of aggression on the part of the neighboring country. Presidents Lula of Brasil and Bachelet of Chile also have strongly condemned expanded U.S. military presence in Colombia and the lack of prior discussion with the affected nations. While South American leaders requested a meeting of UNASUR’s Defense Council in order to obtain a clear explanation of the agreement from Colombia, it appears that neither President Uribe nor his Foreign Affairs minister Jaime Bermudez will be attending such event, although Colombia is sure to be attacked for its role.

As a result of the anticipated bitter regional debate, Uribe and Bermudez have begun a regional tour to explain the details of the proposed military deal and Colombia’s so called terrorist threat. So far, the tour has had mixed results, as Bolivia’s Morales deeply opposed the initiative, stating that allowing foreign military bases on Colombian soil represented an act of aggression to the region’s democracies. On the other hand, Peru’s García – Washington’s often-cited South American compadre – stated that Lima would always back Uribe’s position. In the coming days, Uribe will also meet with Chile’s Bachelet, Argentina’s Fernández, Paraguay’s Lugo, Uruguay’s Vázquez and Brasil’s Lula da Silva, where it is unlikely that they obtain similar backing.

More: http://www.coha.org/2009/08/ten-years-of-plan-colombia-bogota-leases-military-real-estate-to-the-obama-administration/

[KoKo]

1. Sounds like more "nation building" by US...using military..

"Plan Colombia was originally drafted as a “plan for peace, prosperity and the strengthening of the state,” and consisted of five main elements: the peace process, an economic recuperation strategy, an antinarcotics strategy, human rights and judicial reform, and the strengthening of the country’s rule of law and democratic institutions. In this way, international supporters of Plan Colombia would come to the aid of the country’s almost fatally weakened institutions and its inability to control the armed conflict, the advance of drug-trafficking and the prevailing economic crisis."

I hope Obama will reconsider this. How much more of this can we afford? It's a Military/Industrial Complex gone wild.

[bemildred]

2. I thought the historical perspective was good, and it was "even-handed".

It appears to that we we have spent boatloads of money and smushed things around some, but made little real forward progress, and I see little reason to think that we are all of a sudden going to do much better now. And it's kind of beneath us, really, or beneath what we claim to be. We ought to have learned from out past mistakes along this line.