Colombia heads toward NATO membership

[Catherina]

Well. I suppose this would only be fitting. The more war criminals, the merrier.

02 June 2013| last updated at 09:05AM
Colombia heads toward NATO membership

BOGOTA : Colombia’s defense ministry later this month will sign a cooperation agreement with NATO, in hopes of joining the international military alliance, President Juan Manuel Santos said Saturday.

“In June, NATO will sign an agreement with the Colombian government, with the Defense Ministry, to start a process of rapprochement and cooperation, with an eye toward also joining that organization,” Santos said at a military promotion ceremony.

Santos said the army could become an international player if his government can bring off a peace deal as it is trying to do, with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). It is Latin America’s longest-running insurgency.

“If we can achieve peace, the army will be in a place where it will be able to distinguish itself internationally as well. We are already doing it on many fronts,” he said.

....

AFP

http://www.nst.com.my/latest/colombia-heads-toward-nato-membership-1.291740?ModPagespeed=noscript

Shoot, you don't need to achieve peace Santos, with your country's qualifications, over 600,000 dead, you'll fit right in.

[Socialistlemur]

1. This is the beginning of a squeeze on FARC and Venezuela/Cuba

I think it's clear the USA is starting to focus on the Venezuela/Cuba threat. This puts a huge amount of pressure on the FARC to agree to something fast, or they'll be rolled up with the help of US forces. The conflict is getting really interesting and Venezuela isn't devaluing yet.....

[ocpagu]

3. Stop with this nonsense.

"Venezuela/Cuba" threat... sounds like the lunatics in the Tea Party.

[Socialistlemur]

17. It's not nonsense from a USA imperial perspective

I think it's evident Venezuela and Cuba are in a tight symbiosis. There's too many comments about brotherhood and union, they ave tens of thousands of Cubans in Venezuela, and Venezuela subsidizes the Cuban regime.

From a USA standpoint, the emergence of an openly hostile group of nations which have openly advocated violent revolution, led by a military dictatorship (Castro's), which is marching towards china style fascism and is chummy with Iran constitutes a threat.

I don't think Iran is a threat, nor do I like those repressive ayatollahs, but I can see the wheels turning in Washington. They are moving to block the Cuban move, and once they get started they are usually going to focus on military power. Thus the NATO move. I think they are setting up Colombia to keep Venezuela in line. And it wouldn't surprise me to see USA carriers touring te Caribbean to make a point.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

4. Venezuela isn't devaluing yet?

Was that meant as a joke? The paralelo is @>29 mid. Officially it's 6.3, and that only happened a few months ago. Started out at an official rate of 2.15.

[Socialistlemur]

16. I expect a devaluation any day now

They need to devalue urgently via a secondary market such as SICAD. The previous devaluations didn't offset the inflation rate. This makes Venezuelan industry and agriculture non competitive. They are stuck in a bind.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

19. Academic what the gov't does.

Happened already. The only question is when they recognize reality.

[ocpagu]

2. We got to admit they are persistent and never give up.

As if the angry reaction against Colombian authorization for the US to establish several military bases in their territory was not enough, now they go even further, by trying to obtain membership in the world's most prominent mercenary/terrorist organization.

The Colombian government is a sad joke.

[Bacchus4.0]

18. good thing the world has the Ven/Iran/North Korea/Cuba alliance

to counteract the threat of NATO.

[ocpagu]

20. Unfortunately, there's not a single alliance...

... able to counteract the mercenaries of NATO.

But, yes, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea and Cuba have far, far, far better records regarding military conflicts. What was the last time Venezuela or Cuba invaded another country?

[wayne_fontes]

5. Why on eath would

Colombia feel the need for it's military " to distinguish itself internationally"?

If FARC ends the insurgency the governments first priority should be to shrink the military budget.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Colombia's military is massively underwritten by the U.S. taxpayers, of course.

War against the rebels has been profitable for the Colombian government, it's a real resource.

The U,S, government desperately needs Colombia to serve as it's "lily pad" forward operating base, as Donald Rumsfeld designated, to make military operations, surveillance quick and easy for the U.S. in Latin America.

[naaman fletcher]

8. you mean a "peace dividend"?

thats not the way the military industrial complex works.

[Benton D Struckcheon]

7. Columbia and the Super Tucano

http://beegeagle.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/spotlight-embraer-emb-314-aka-alxa29-super-tucano-counterinsurgency-aircraft/

The US isn't the only one militarily assisting Columbia against the FARC. Just so's you know.

[ocpagu]

9. It depends on what you understand when you say the "US"

I generally use it in reference to the US government. Colombia has bought aircraft from Brazilian private companies, yes.

Colombia has never obtained any kind of assistance from the Brazilian government for anything related to FARC. Quite the contrary, they even accused the Brazilian government of assisting the FARC, not so long ago...

[naaman fletcher]

10. The brazillian government

would have had to approve any private sales of military equipment or any sales to a foreign military.

[ocpagu]

14. Yes.

And obviously they wouldn't block a Brazilian private company making business with foreign governments with which they have good relations. As they also didn't block selling of weapons to Venezuela.

Comparing this to the direct military assistance provided by the US government to Colombia - which goes way, way farther than simply authorizing private companies seeling weapons, makes no sense. It's literally comparing apples to oranges. The US government is not only providing funds and training to Colombia's military, but also organizing operations, lending vehicles, sending troops, tried to establish military bases, and even pressed for change of Colombian's Constitution to offer legal protection to US military.

If the US was simply allowing private companies to sell vehicles to Colombia, as Brazil did, I'm pretty sure we wouldn't be seeing this kind of criticism.

[naaman fletcher]

15. Ok I agree nt

[Benton D Struckcheon]

11. Not so fast

From their website (http://www.embraer.com/en-US/ConhecaEmbraer/tradicaohistoria/Pages/Home.aspx):

Created on August 19, 1969, Embraer - Empresa Brasileira de Aeronáutica, was a mixed capital company under government control. With the support of the Brazilian Government, the Company would transform science and technology into engineering and industrial capability.

I don't know if the gov't still has an ownership interest anymore, but I'm sure it's something like any of our defense contractors here in the US: a tight relationship. It's not like some company in China, say, could come along and buy it.
This particular plane was sold in only two places at the time of that blog post: Brazil and Colombia.
My point is only that the world is a far more complex place than the incessant black/white lines that get drawn in this group.

[ocpagu]

12. Embraer was privatized in 1994.

My point is: there's an ocean of differences between authorizing a private company to sell aircraft to a foreign government... and donating billions of tax payers money to fund military actions, establishing military bases, training, etc.

[naaman fletcher]

13. Per international law,

almost every country abides by a set of standards whereby the transfer of military goods and/or know how must be approved by the originating country.