Bolivia calls Unasur meeting about Colombia's intention to join NATO

[Catherina]

Bolivia calls Unasur meeting about Colombia's intention to join NATO

On Monday, Evo Morales described Colombia's decision to join NATO as a threat to the region and called for an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). NATO said it is currently preparing an agreement with the South American country.

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During a ceremony in the southern city of Potosi, Morales held that President Juan Manuel Santos' determination to join NATO violated the peace treaties signed by the Unasur and poses a danger of military intervention to the nations of Latin America and the Caribbean.

"We can not allow NATO to intervene in Latin America. Having NATO is a threat to our continent, to Latin America and the Caribbean," he said. The president asked the General Secretariat to convene an emergency meeting to take the steps to block the Security Council and to take a joint position of rejecting NATO's arrival to the region through Colombia.

He believes that the presence of that military organization would be to destabilize and undermine leftist governments in Latin America, primarily Venezuela, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Bolivia itself.

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... NATO said it is currently preparing an agreement with the South American country that "would allow the exchange of classified information between NATO and Colombia".

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http://www.telesurtv.net/articulos/2013/06/03/presidente-morales-pide-cumbre-de-la-unasur-para-analizar-union-de-colombia-a-otan-9233.html

[Socialistlemur]

1. Interesting to see they left Cuba out

The morales statement mentions Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Nicaragua...but left Cuba out. Interesting to see how they try to keep under the radar.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

2. Cuba isn't in South America. Look at a map. n/t

[dipsydoodle]

5. Cuba is in the Caribbean

but it has at least got a north Atlantic coast which is more than can be said for Colombia.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

6. Good point. n/t

[Bacchus4.0]

9. Poland, Greece, Turkey, Italy don't have a North Atlantic Coast n/t

s

[dipsydoodle]

18. The original purpose of NATO was to demonstrate solidarity against Russia

and as such progressively included most European countries. Its existence is now abused by the USA.

I did say "at least" Cuba has got a north Atlantic coast.

[Bacchus4.0]

8. neither is Nicaragua n/t

s

[Benton D Struckcheon]

10. Sigh.

It's kind of interesting, how this group has the same ultra-polarization you see in the countries themselves. Makes us and our Tea Party look tame. There are plenty of times when I refrain from posting because I just know this kind of nonsense will start up.

So, anyway, just how pedantic do you want to get? To any other reasonable observer, the common thread is that they're all elected gov'ts, and scared of......
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...Allende's shadow. It's a long one, you know.

[Bacchus4.0]

11. Any overthrow of those governments is likely to be internal

Look at Honduras recently despite every possible intent to link the US, the Venezuela coup, Chavez's coup, the 50-year Colombia role although various nations have supported the FARC overtime. Bolivia seems to have a protest or riot every week. Morales needs to worry about internal issues not an invasion by NATO.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

12. Subversion by the US is an everyday risk for these gov'ts,

saying otherwise is to deliberately ignore the history of the continent. As for Morales' troubles or anyone else's, that's for them to deal with. I try to keep my comments to their relations with the US, which is all I, as a US citizen, need concern myself with. I've been guilty of overstepping that and will probably do so in the future, but this controversy right here is directly concerned with their relations to the US.
Those other gov'ts have a point: this does endanger their security. They would be well within their rights to expel Colombia from UNASUR and any other treaties/organizations/agreements they have with that country.

[Bacchus4.0]

13. I suppose they could, just like Colombia is within its right

to petition to join NATO as a sovereign nation. I suppose Venezuela has the most to fear given their support for the FARC in the past. Hopefully, that era is over.

However, the biggest problems in Latin America are internal. That true speaking of Honduras, Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, or Colombia. Whether they be economic, social, security related or a combination.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

14. So what?

Your opinion of their problems is irrelevant. The only thing relevant to this discussion is the external threat to their security.
Colombia has every right to join NATO, and all the other countries have every right to expel them and abrogate their treaties over it, especially given the past US history in this region. That is all.

[Socialistlemur]

17. Nobody is going to expel anybody, relax

This is an overreaction. These guys are very nervous because Venezuela, the intended cash cow, is very unstable, led by a green Maduro who shows his incompetence, and is going broke. They are skittish. The nations run by adults, like Brazil. Mexico, Peru, and Chile will block this silliness. I bet they won't even meet. Most of them know Morales isn't firing on all cylinders anyway.

[Socialistlemur]

15. Geez, you are right, Cuba is in North America

I checked the map and geology books, and it turns out most of Cuba is indeed in North America. But this could be argued by some. A geology book I found says Cuba is like a piece of a mini continent which broke up. And three pieces stuck to Venezuela.

Anyhow, I think it's kinda funny to see the reaction. The Cubans are in Venezuela to their necks, and the statements complaining about Colombia left Cuba out of the list. Also it's interesting to see how the Cubans remain quiet. I think they are a lot smarter than the other guys.

[dipsydoodle]

3. Would create a gross absurdity.

[Laelth]

4. k&r for exposure. n/t

-Laelth

[Catherina]

7. NATO Intends to Destroy Latin American Unity, Leaders Warn

NATO Intends to Explode Latin American Unity, Leaders Warn

Managua, Jun 3 (Prensa Latina) The supposed initiative to incorporate Colombia in a military group like the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an attack on Latin American and Caribbean unity, the governments of Nicaragua and Venezuela denounced today.

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"When the region seeks more unity through the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), it is worrying that initiatives are presented to try to divide and weaken the process", noted Ortega.

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"CELAC has commitments and if anyone breaks them, there will always be other leaders that rectify mistakes and strengthen unity of our peoples", underlined Ortega.

Maduro warned that Colombia's attempt contradicts the doctrine and the international law on which regional unity is based. "They want to put dynamite in the heart of the achievements of the unity of Latin America, the Caribbean and South America", the leader pointed out.

http://www.plenglish.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1475681&Itemid=1

[Socialistlemur]

16. They sure sound hysterical

What's this, Maduro was supposed to have been chancellor for many years and he's behaving like a housewife who saw a roach in the fridge.