Chavez sitting pretty, while Uribe staggering

[rabs]

Don't know if the AP, Reuters or other English-language media have reported that:

-- Chavez met Thursday and Friday with prominent Colombian politicians in Caracas. They included former President Samper and current Sen. Piedad Cordoba, one of the leading critics of uribito.

-- Cordoba said in Caracas that the Ven/Col conflict could spiral out of control and inflame the entire region.

-- Chavez told uribito "come to your senses and put yourself in our shoes."

-- Chavez to alvarito: "We're talking about yankee troops from the most aggressive and genocidal empire in the world."

-- The meetings of the Colombians with Chavez pissed off the uribistas; the foreign minister Valencia said the government would not tolerate a "parallel foreign policy" and that that Samper and Cordoba are breaking the law. (That is dangerous for Cordoba who in the past has been the target of two assassination attempts.)

-- The UNASUR foreign ministers are meeting today and tomorrow in Quito to draft the "Declaration of Quito" that the presidents will be signing on Monday.

-- Ecuador's foreign minister Falconi yesterday said uribito was given a "strong message" during alvarito's "mute" tour of seven UNASUR countries this week that no attack by Colombia on any other nations would be tolerated. This gives a hint to what can be expected in the "Declaration of Quito."

-- UNASUR has invited urbito to attend the conference. What he was NOT invited to attend is the inauguration of Rafa Correa to his second presidential term, which will also be on Monday. Talk about a humiliation for alvarito. He said last week that he would not attend out of "national dignity" thus the lighting trip to try to give explanations to the UNASUR presidents about the U.S. bases.

-- There was a major story that also broke in Bogota on Friday when it was announced that the Colombian Supreme Court has issued summons for 86 (repeat 86) members of Congress to testify whether they had received bribes when the Congress approved the 2006 re-election bid of uribito. (Another smashing embarrassment to alvarito from his own Supreme Court.)

-- So with the ball rolling for Chavez, and with alvarito cornered like a rat, Chavez had the luxury of ordering his ambassador back to Bogota.

(All info above culled from Colombian and Venezuelan Spanish media.)

[EFerrari]

1. Thank you, rabs. Who the leader is and who the rata is

gets clearer every day, doesn't it? :)

[rabs]

2. You're welcome EF

Saw where you having a good ole time brawling on LBN with the oddballs there :fistbump:

How is your tia down in Salva? Good vibes to her.

[EFerrari]

4. They sent my tia home. It's not good but it is what it is.

Thanks for the vibes.

[Judi Lynn]

3. So cool. This is a virtual news explosion! "Newsapolooza." Uribe's got it all going on,

doesn't he? He's been so angry at his Supreme Court, this last call is going to have him bouncing off the walls. Wonderful.

His bright idea of a "mute tour" sounded like he was trying to copy Hillary's slick label she gave her own forrays out to rub elbows with the public, when she started calling them "listening tours." In Uribe's case, his tour to visit Latin American Presidents was a tour in which there's nothing he could tell them which would change their minds about those bases! Hence, "mute tour."

So sad for Uribe, not attending the inauguration. Correa didn't even have to bribe any Senators to get re-elected, too. That must chafe!

So, here's a photo from the first inauguration which he did attend, to commemorate Uribe's great friendship with Ecuador:

http://www.aid97400.lautre.net.nyud.net:8090/IMG/jpg/ChavezMoralesCorreaUribe.jpg

So much great news to read at one time. Thank you for this big bright spot in the forum.

I'd like to post this image, and leave a question maybe a passing troll might be able to answer: why do you never acknowledge any of the OTHER Presidents who have posed for photos with Ahmadinejad? Damned if I know!


Now that they've had a chance to see this, I will expect to see a lot of scenery chewing, drapery shredding, wall banging, and ear splitting shrieking about what an islamofascist Lula is.

[EFerrari]

5. That picture of Uribe is the funniest thing I've ever seen.

It cracks me up every time. He looks like Lucy just grabbed the football again.

lol

[Judi Lynn]

6. He wooks weal angwy. Don't be sad, Uwibe! n/t

[Judi Lynn]

7. Colombia's Uribe defends U.S. military role in South America

Colombia's Uribe defends U.S. military role in South America
Sunday, August 09, 2009

BRASILIA, Brazil -- President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia wrapped up a seven-country tour of South America last week seeking to calm skeptical neighbors about a proposal to allow an increased American military presence in Colombian territory.

On Thursday, Mr. Uribe met for more than two hours here with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, who requested guarantees from Mr. Uribe that the military cooperation with the United States would not spill over Colombia's borders, Celso Amorim, Brazil's foreign minister, told reporters.

Mr. Uribe took to the road on his diplomatic offensive last week after some countries -- including Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua -- denounced the plans to allow for increased American troop levels. Others, like Brazil, expressed concern about the agreement, which Colombian and American officials insisted would only extend and formalize a continuing counternarcotics program between the countries.

The concerns -- and Mr. Uribe's hastily organized diplomatic road show -- underscore contrasting views about threats to the region's security. For the Colombian president, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, remain the primordial threat, not only to Colombia but to the entire region, said Michael Shifter, vice-president of the Inter-American Dialogue, a policy research group in Washington.

"Other governments don't quite see it that way," Mr. Shifter said. "Most are sympathetic to Uribe, but they view the FARC as essentially Colombia's problem. They are more worried about any decisions regarding U.S. military presence in the region, which remains a highly sensitive issue that continues to arouse suspicions."

More:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09221/989697-82.stm#ixzz0NfpyMhA4