Colombia
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Obama Continues Bush Policies in Latin America By Mark Weisbrot
There were great hopes in Latin America when President Obama was elected. U.S. standing in the region had reached a low point under George W. Bush, and all of the hemisphere’s left-leaning governments expressed optimism that Obama would go in a different direction. These hopes have been dashed. President Obama has continued the Bush policies… Continue reading
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Venezuela – Colombia Relations in Limbo: Will Chávez burn the bridge? – Council on Hemispheric Affairs
In response to Colombian charges that weapons found in a FARC arms cache were supplied by Venezuela, Hugo Chávez withdrew his ambassador from Bogotá and once again froze Venezuela – Colombia relations. According to reports by the Uribe Administration, three Swedish AT-4 rocket launchers which formed part of a shipment sold in the 1980s to… Continue reading
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Ten Years of ‘Plan Colombia’: Bogotá Leases Military Real Estate to the Obama Administration
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… Continue reading
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Colombian Trade Unions: A Target for Intimidation and Assassination
For most of its modern existence, Colombia has struggled with internal violence, most recently in the form of human rights abuses and brutality against organized trade union groups carried out by paramilitary and insurgent armies. This group in particular has been subjected to a disproportionate amount of violence. In the past twenty years, over 2,000… Continue reading
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U.S.-Brokered Mediation Has Failed — It's Time for Latin America to Take Charge By Mark Weisbrot
The mediation effort that U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arranged to try to resolve the Honduran crisis, which began when a military coup removed Honduran President Mel Zelaya more than four weeks ago, has failed. It is now time — some would say overdue — for the Latin American governments to play their proper… Continue reading
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The Real News Network – US military to set up in Colombia
Video: With the hemisphere fixated on the coup d’etat in Honduras, the Colombian military announced it would be opening up some of its military bases to be shared with the US military. This caused immediate condemnation from the leadership of Colombia’s neighbors, Ecuador and Venezuela. Forrest Hylton, expert on Colombian affairs, believes that the two… Continue reading
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US Escalates War Plans In Latin America By By Rick Rozoff
On June 29 US President Barack Obama hosted his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe at the White House and weeks later it was announced that the Pentagon plans to deploy troops to five air and naval bases in Colombia, the largest recipient of American military assistance in Latin America and the third largest in the world,… Continue reading
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Majority Leader Hoyer Needs to Know that the Uribe Government of Colombia is Not Fit for an FTA
The most outspoken Democratic proponent of an ill-deserved Free Trade Agreement with Bogotá has not only reversed his own position on the deal, but has defended and legitimized a corrupt, venal government, heavily tied to political scandals and human rights violations, whose legislative backers are being indicted in droves. Only Colombia’s elite will be the… Continue reading
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COHA: Time to Debate a Change in Washington’s Failed Latin American Drug Policies
Despite 37 years of universal cooperation pursuant to the United Nations General Assembly resolution 39/141, which has been the basis of U.S. anti-drug policy ever since; it is a statute which regularly has proven to be ineffective. Continue reading
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COHA: Camilo Torres: Prayer Can’t Solve Poverty Alone
Camilo Torres proposed a political, social and economic paradigm shift, which in 1965 served to inspire the emergence of the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian left-wing guerrilla group. Soon after the ELN was founded, Torres joined it and became its political face. Continue reading
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Stephen Lendman: Ongoing attacks on Hugo Chavez
Since taking office in February 1999, America’s dominant media have relentlessly attacked Chavez because of the good example he represents and threat it might spread in spite of scant chance it will in today’s climate. Continue reading
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COHA: A Strange Concept of “Security”
Catholic priest Rafael de Jesus Gallego, after he had been given assurances through the US Embassy’s Human Rights Office that it his visa would be routinely granted to him. Father Rafael was later told that the visa had been denied for ‘security’ reasons. Continue reading
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Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Colombia’s Political Horizon: The Rise of a New Left
Colombia’s President Uribe: ‘I deplore that Senator Obama’ Current Political Landscape In contemporary discourse regarding Latin America, Colombia is often characterized as a failed state mired by ruinous civil war and reflecting the pervasive influence of powerful drug-running paramilitaries. On the other hand, there are those who see the country as an enviable exemplar of Continue reading
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Venezuela’s Military in the Hugo Chávez Era
Council on Hemispheric Affairs In recent years President Hugo Chávez has become Washington’s ultimate Latin American nemesis, with the Venezuelan leader striving to bedevil the U.S. at every possible opportunity. While his rhetoric and flamboyant attitude might otherwise go unnoticed, Venezuela is an oil rich country and Chávez has used his ‘petro-dollars’ to upgrade his Continue reading
The New Dark Age 