Colombia, Venezuela To Mend Ties

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia, Venezuela To Mend Ties

BOGOTA, July 17 (BERNAMA-NNN-XINHUA) -- Both Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday that they will meet next week to mend bilateral relations.

"On Monday we will meet with President Maduro at the border to fully revise the status of bilateral relations," Santos said via Twitter.

Meanwhile, Maduro confirmed at a press conference in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas that they will meet to define the rules for redirecting the relationship between the two neighbours that share a 2,000-km border stretching from the Caribbean Sea to the Amazonian region.

Maduro said the two sides decided to hold the upcoming meeting last Monday, when he met a special Colombian envoy to discuss the recent disagreements between Caracas and Bogota.

More:
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=963868

[Socialistlemur]

1. I guess Venezuela is becoming pragmatic

They are not complaining about Colombia's ties with NATO or the supposed 18 warplanes purchased by the opposition and parked in a USA base in Colombia.

[Peace Patriot]

2. How do you know that these things are not on the bargaining table in the bilateral talks?

Or did you just want to say something snotty about Venezuela?

[Socialistlemur]

4. How do I know?

I know they are not in bilateral talks because they are not negotiable. The story about the 18 planes is false. Colombia isn't about to stop cooperating with NATO because Venezuela requests it. What can Venezuela offer in return? It has nothing to offer therefore it lacks leverage.

Was I being snotty? I wouldn't say so. I would characterize it as sarcasm. Venezuelan politicians tend to be noisy and express hostility all the time, then they back off and try to mend the conflicts they themselves invent. If Colombia, which is engaged in negotiations with the FARC to close it down wishes to make moves to show the FARC it's either make a deal or the end for them is near, then Colombia isn't about to back off just because Maduro requests it.

Given the timing, I think Santos got himself a little deal with NATO in response to the silly comment by the FARC asking for a delay in the presidential elections. When Santos saw that comment he made a chess move and put NATO on the table. Or maybe you think all of this is accidental?

Regarding the 18 planes, do you really believe that baloney?

[Peace Patriot]

3. I'm very glad to hear this. Thanks for posting it!

And I'm quite sure that the NATO incursion into Latin America will be on the table at these talks, as well as other threats to Venezuela--for instance, Colombia's president, Santos, meeting with the Venezuelan opposition leader, Capriles, who has yet to recognize Maduro's election as president of Venezuela, though everyone else in Latin America has done so, and everyone else in the world except the U.S.

Another threat that may be on the table are the incursions of "Black Eagles" (rightwing death squads and crime syndicate) into Venezuela from Colombia. This is probably a hard thing for Santos to control. They have a very long border with Venezuela, across which tens of thousands of Colombians have fled into Venezuela mostly in fear of the Colombian military and its closely tied death squads--a border that sees a lot of trade as well, including a lot of black market items from Venezuela, such as subsidized foods and gasoline, smuggled into Colombia for jacked up prices, and cocaine smuggled out. I imagine that this is a headache for Santos.

Further, the death squads are closely tied to Alvaro Uribe, Santos' fascist enemy, who is threatening to return to power in Colombia along with his crime mob. Uribe was engaged in vast, illegal domestic spying--spying on judges and prosecutors, for instance, to protect himself and his cronies, and to intimidate and threaten those investigating his crimes--probably assisted by the Bush Junta. He was also targeting labor union leaders and others for assassination with his spy agency, DAS. Some one hundred of Uribe's closest associates are under investigation or already in jail for ties to the death squads, drug trafficking and other crimes. Santos seems to be up against "the Mob." Although he, too, is a rightwinger and a strong supporter of U.S. "free trade for the rich," none of these dark shadows of criminal trafficking and murder have gotten attached to Santos (as far as I know), as they have to Uribe.

Santos seems to be clean, and seems to genuinely want peace with the FARC and certainly made big gestures of peace toward Venezuela starting on his first day in office. (Uribe was/is a warmonger, as well as a crime boss.) It's difficult to understand some of the things Santos has done recently to threaten that peace--meeting with Capriles; inviting NATO to Latin America (which is bound to aggravate a whole lot of LatAm countries). POSSIBLY the NATO application has to do with Uribe operatives in the Colombia military threatening Santos. Santos may think that he (and Colombia) would be better off with European leaders added to the U.S., as military allies--perhaps thinking forward to a Jeb Bush presidency, for instance. (Would France, or Germany, or England, agree to an oil war in LatAm? Not likely.)

I'm just guessing, though. And, in any case, the precedent--NATO in LatAm--is extremely disturbing. It's bad enough having U.S. military bases in Colombia and Honduras--two countries with horrendous human rights records. Add in some more nuclear powers and lovers of "austerity" for the poor? Bad idea! Latin America has prided itself on solving its own conflicts, and has fervently sought independence, sovereignty and self-determination. And even rightwing leaders feel obliged to at least pay lip service to these principles, though they may be a wholly owned subsidiary of Washington DC. I'd sure like to be a "fly on the wall" when Santos and Maduro talk about NATO.

[Catherina]

6. This is in both countries best interests. Santos was also extremely upset about Morales' plane

Colombia's also not pleased about the extent of the US espionage on them.

...

Colombia expressed concern early today after revelations the United States had spied on the Andean nation, its closest military ally in Latin America, and called for an explanation.

...

A leading Brazilian newspaper reported yesterday that the US National Security Agency targeted most Latin American countries with spying programs that monitored Internet traffic, especially in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico.

...

“Colombia expressed concern early today after revelations the United States had spied on the Andean nation, its closest military ally in Latin America, and called for an explanation.

“In rejecting the acts of espionage that violate people’s rights and intimacy as well as the international conventions on telecommunication, Colombia requests the corresponding explanations from the United States government through its ambassador to Colombia,” the foreign ministry said in the statement.

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/article/135683/colombia-demands-explanation-on-nsa-spying-allegations

Rapprochement

The reverse ferret will probably come as relief to many Venezuelans given that earlier this year Colombia has repeatedly said it was ready to help them with food and other shortages the Bolivarian Republic is struggling with.

For Colombia, which is worried about the effects that Venezuela’s devaluation is having on its own economy (namely in the form of the multi-million dollar contraband trade that has popped up along the two countries’ borders), a more stable Venezuelan economy is probably in its best interest.

...

Given that Venezuela has historically been one of Colombia’s main export destinations, the belligerency forced Colombians to cultivate new markets. According to some analysts, annual trade between both countries plummeted from roughly $7bn before the 2008 diplomatic spat to roughly $2bn in recent years – something that has hurt cattle and grain exporters, manufacturers, as well as some bankers.

Nevertheless, the diplomatic rapprochement Santos and Chávez started in 2010 reached a peak last year when Venezuela became a "facilitator" in the peace talks between Colombia’s government and Farc rebels, aimed at ending one of the world’s longest running armed conflicts.

That fence mending has also had a noticeable impact on trade. According to preliminary data published by Colombia’ National Administrative Department of Statistics and the Tax and Customs Office earlier this year, trade between both countries hit $3.2bn – a 40.4 per cent increase compared to the $2.3bn recorded in 2011.

...

http://blogs.ft.com/beyond-brics/2013/07/19/venezuela-colombia-mending-fences/

[Catherina]

5. Lol, just duped you but self-deleted.

Cristina served as the intermediary and was received with warmth and full military honors



http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/media/ALeqM5hSn9MN7L11DLv_lG_MOCocl1vaeA?docId=5467515w&size=l

"On Monday I will meet on the border with President Maduro for a complete revision of the state of relations," Santos said in a message from his Twitter account on Tuesday.
...

"We go with the best good faith, the best goodwill," Maduro said from the presidential palace in Caracas. "We believe in the coexistence of brothers, in the peaceful coexistence of different models and we will talk with President Santos and hopefully re-establish the rules of play for the prosperity of both our nations."

...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/07/16/us-colombia-venezuela-idUSBRE96F15620130716

Video in Spanish but you get the gist by how many times Presidents Kirchner and Santos warmly mention former President Chavez and the upcoming meeting with President Maduro