As Latin Americans set their eyes on an independent path, U.S. imperialism has seen its grip on the region slip—but it can still count on Colombia.
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The Colombian government is set to authorize an expanded U.S. military presence in the country, including the deployment of up to 800 U.S. troops and 600 contractors. The deal will give the U.S. military access to three airbases: Apiay, in the eastern plains; Alberto Pouwels, on the Caribbean coast; and Palanquero, just 60 miles northwest of Bogotá. U.S. warships would be allowed more frequent stops at naval bases in Malaga, located on the Pacific coast, and Cartagena, situated on the Caribbean.
When Colombian President Álvaro Uribe visited Washington a few weeks ago, President Barack Obama had $46 million from taxpayers already authorized by Congress for this military project. Uribe consulted neither the people nor the national parliament on the matter. The Colombian magazine CAMBIO broke the news before Uribe himself had announced it. Senator Piedad Cordoba from the Liberal Party said it was “shameful” that Colombians learned of the agreement from a magazine.
The U.S.-Colombia military alliance itself is not new. For years, Washington has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into “Plan Colombia” and “Plan Patriota” to help Uribe wage a war against the left. The primary targets have been the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN).
But the shift to the left in Latin America and Washington’s inability to contain it have made the U.S. military presence in the region even more important in the eyes of the Pentagon. Last year, the U.S. government announced the reestablishment of the Fourth Fleet—a not-so-subtle threat to Latin American governments.
The expansion of the U.S. military presence in Colombia follows the expiration of the lease of the U.S. military base in Manta, Ecuador, which President Rafael Correa refused to renew. Correa mockingly said he would agree to renew the lease if Washington would allow an Ecuadorian military base in Florida.
From a geostrategic perspective, Colombia is of great importance: It is centrally located relative to the rest of Latin America, connecting South and Central America in close proximity to the Panama Canal. Colombia sits between Ecuador and Venezuela—both led by governments that have unapologetically challenged Washington’s regional dominance.
Colombia carried out an airstrike in Ecuadorean territory against the FARC in March 2008, killing guerrilla commander Raúl Reyes and 16 other revolutionary fighters. U.S. and Colombian officials have accused both Correa and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez of allowing the FARC to operate from their respective countries, creating a pretext for Colombia’s hostile military stance.
Latin American independence unacceptable to Washington
Under Venezuela’s revolutionary leadership, aided by Cuba’s invaluable guidance, left-leaning governments in the region are standing together to chart a course independent of U.S. imperialism. Chávez has emerged as the most prominent leader in the effort to build a unified struggle for Latin American self-determination.
The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA), a Venezuela-Cuba initiative in response to the U.S.-backed Free Trade Area of the Americas, has addressed not only economic but also social needs of its member countries. The organization promotes social, economic, cultural and political integration throughout Latin America, free of the plunder of the neoliberal model peddled by U.S. officials.
ALBA now includes another four Spanish-speaking members: Bolivia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Honduras—the latter currently suspended due to the recent illegal coup. They have been joined by three English-speaking members: St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica.
Washington has put its full weight behind right-wing forces, particularly in Venezuela and Bolivia, in hopes of derailing these progressive developments. It has backed attempts at coups and assassination, sabotage and violence without successfully rolling back the gains of the left—so far. The recent coup in Honduras is a reminder of the danger that the Latin American left still faces.
Chávez has condemned the Colombian comprador bourgeois government, stating, “You are opening your house to an enemy of your neighbor … and the neighbor has the right to say that is an unfriendly act.” (Venezuelanalysis, July 24) Bolivian President Evo Morales has also spoken out against U.S. military presence in the region: “Those who accept them [U.S. bases] are traitors to the Homeland … never again should [foreign] military bases exist in Latin America.” (Venezuelanalysis, July 21) Both Chávez and Morales have been targets of U.S.-backed coup and assassination attempts.
The developments in Colombia go hand in hand with the broader U.S. strategic orientation toward Latin America. U.S. complicity with the coup in Honduras, the continued inhumane blockade of Cuba, increased U.S. military presence—all are part and parcel of U.S. plans to keep Latin America as its “backyard.” Latin America has the right to chart its own course, free from U.S. intervention.
End U.S. military presence in Latin America!
