by René Lavanchy
South American leaders this week expressed concern over Colombia’s plans to allow a growing number of United States military personnel to use its army and air bases for operations against drug traffickers and guerrillas.
Up to 1,400 special forces and civilian staff will be able to use around seven bases across the country, according to reports. Opponents of the plans say they threaten the sovereignty of Colombia and neighbouring countries.
But national presidents at this week’s Unasur summit failed to agree on a motion condemning the plans, while Colombia’s deputy foreign minister insisted that her country was not losing independence.
Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva said: “As President of Brazil, this climate of unease disturbs me… I think we should directly discuss our discontent with the American government, directly with them”, AP reported.
President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela wrote a letter to the other delegates warning that the plans “could turn into a tragedy”. He added: “We don’t want war, I hope we can talk about this in an emergency summit.”
Mr Chávez, whose relations with his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe are notoriously volatile, said last week that the plans were “a great threat against us” and called on his armed forces to be ready for combat.
The situation is worsened by an alleged incursion by Colombian soldiers into Venezuelan territory last week.
The leaders agreed to hold a security council in Buenos Aires on August 24 to discuss the issue further.
The US plans, disclosed by the Colombian government last month, are intended to keep an American foothold in South America after Ecuador refused to renew a lease on an air base at Manta. According to the Colombian government, 800 soldiers and 600 civilian staff are expected to use the bases to maintain aircraft and intercept communications.
Colombian deputy foreign minister Clemencia Forero told the summit: “There have not been, nor will there be, military bases in Colombia. The bases are Colombian.” She added that they would be used for “the fight against drugs, international delinquency and terrorism, which all Unasur members are a part of.”
A US State Department spokesperson said this week: “We are working with our Colombian partner to try to deal with a problem that you see in the hemisphere, and that’s narcotics trafficking… this should be viewed as nothing more than that.”
They admitted that “historical perceptions” about US intervention in Latin America could be a problem.
