Chavez threatens end to Colombia relations
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez threatens to end relations with Colombia over new US military base deal
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By Will Haine. |  |
Wednesday, 26, Aug 2009 02:44
By inthenews.co.uk staff.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez says diplomatic relations with Colombia are in jeopardy after the latter extended its deal to lease military bases to the US.
President Chavez's Colombian and American counterparts Alvaro Uribe and Barack Obama signed a new deal that will see US troops based at seven Colombian bases for a further ten years.
Bogotá insists the troops are there to combat drug trafficking and leftist guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc).
But Mr Chavez claimed in a broadcast on state television last night that the US troops would be used to unseat him.
"We are going to prepare for this, because the Colombian bourgeoisie hates us," he said.
"And now, it just isn't possible to make up. No, it is impossible.
"The agreement of the seven bases is a declaration of war against the Bolivarian Revolution [which brought President Chavez to power]."
Relations between Bogotá and Caracas are already at a low after Colombia accused Venezuela of supplying anti-tank weapons to Farc, albeit inadvertently.