I'm trying to read them while doing other things this evening so my progress is slow. Just finished
Venezuela – Colombia: To Washington’s Chagrin, Economics Bridge Ideological Divide. Well worth reading, it explained that it was actually Álvaro Uribe who announced there was an assassination plot against
Bush when he attended the summit in Cartagena recently, only to have to withdraw that outlandish claim. (I'm convinced it was cooked up by
Bush people, anyway, to create a sense of importance for the imbecile.) The article points out that it seems there was an attempt made to imply Hugo Chavez was involved, if I read it correctly. (Had to scan, in a hurry.)
To see these two people starting to work together for the mutual benefit of their two countries, improvement of life for the citizens, starting to overcome the hostilities which actually benefited the
Bush regime is tremendous. From the article:
Getting Down to Business
It is therefore clear enough why Chávez and Uribe are prepared to put petty politics aside and place their bets on a number of joint economic projects that will most likely foster stability between the two countries. Included among their lofty economic plans is the construction of a pipeline from Venezuela’s oil rich Maracaibo region to Colombia’s Pacific coast, as well as plans for PDVSA to increase its investments in Colombian refineries. Designed to exploit China’s expanding demand for oil, these joint ventures are meant to capitalize on Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the fourth largest in the world, and Colombia’s strategic geographic position, to the benefit of all parties. At the Cartagena summit, even the controversy over border security issues was framed within a context of economic development.
Chavez and Uribe have committed themselves to a bilateral effort to encourage a wide range of development projects that hopefully will provide the jobs and economic activity necessary to restore social order to the region. Such economic realities require a stable relationship between Colombia and Venezuela, further demonstrating that when it comes down to these oft-disputatious neighbors, dollars and cents ultimately trump ideological differences. For this constructive economic relationship to be achieved, channels of open communication must be protected, and discussions carried out in a respectful and sympathetic tone. Relations between Venezuela and Colombia currently appear to satisfy such requirements despite constant attempts by third parties to subvert ties between the two. Even during episodes of intense controversy and turmoil, both Chávez and Uribe have maintained an official line of diplomatic tact towards one another, taking care not to jeopardize fundamental shared interests by launching sterile zero sum games against each other. The potential for a slew of lucrative business deals between the two makes it imperative that, above all else, stability, prudent policy and long term interests guide relations between the two South American countries.
(snip/)
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