About military bases

November 2, 10:37 PMSouth America Headlines ExaminerJuan Hidalgo

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In a private, low-key ceremony, the US ambassador and three Colombian ministers signed a pact Friday to expand Washington's military's presence; a deal that Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has called a threat to the region's security.

(AP Photo/Colombia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Alexandra Maldonado)

Despite Hugo Chavez’s fury and everything else, the Colombian government signed an agreement with the United States government in order to allowing to Americans the use of seven military bases in Colombia according to the “Plan Colombia” about struggling against terrorism and drug traffic dealers. Both governments said there will not be military exercises; violation of Colombian sovereignty or interference in the neighboring countries.

This issue caused concern last August not only among the neighboring countries, but among the inhabitants of Colombia because neither the details of the deal were not known nor was consulted to the Colombian Congress. This was the focus of a meeting among the South American countries in which they named the prior agreement as an extra regional interference and act of imperialism.

The Colombian government then refused give details of the agreement because it was not signed yet and it was a reserved matter according its sovereignty. However, following the signing of the agreement, the Colombian’s Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez announced that the details will be announced this week by a letter addressed to the foreign ministers of the countries concerned.
One of the most controversial items is about the immunity for the US soldiers during theirs mission in Colombia (they can’t be tried in Colombia).Years before two US soldiers were charged with sexual assault against a young lady in Tolemaida base, in the centre of the country.

This was something in which the Colombian government tried to improve but Washington didn’t accept and recently the US ambassador in Colombia, William Brownfield, made clear that “immunity” does not mean “impunity” and if any US soldier violates the Colombian law, he will be tried in the US. This is something which could be irritating even further to the detractors of the agreement for not  being according to principle of jurisdiction.
But who can assure there not will be acts of espionage against the ruler of Venezuela, who is a well known opponent to the United State’s international politics, and like it or not, there it is a possibility even when there are reports in the US Congress that Venezuela government would be indulgent with the drug trafficking, according to the Foreign Minister of Brazil, Celso Amorim.

Chavez found support from his allies in Ecuador and Bolivia, while Brazil and Argentina, the most developed countries in the region have expressed concern but not censure. Only the time will say if that was right or was a mistake.