Chavez Sends Tanks to the Columbian Border - Political Forum

J.Locke777 · 03-02-2008, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Venezuela 'sends tanks to border'
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is sending thousands of troops and tanks to the border with Colombia, marking a sharp escalation in regional tensions.

Speaking on his weekly television show, President Chavez also said Venezuela's embassy in Colombia would close.
Mr Chavez said he was reacting to the "cowardly murder" of a leading Farc rebel by Colombian forces in a raid just inside Ecuador on Saturday.
Later, Ecuador recalled its ambassador to Bogota in protest at the incursion.
Raul Reyes and at least 16 other rebels were killed in the operation, which took place about 1.8km (one mile) inside Ecuadorean territory.
'Invasion'
Mr Chavez has been mediating with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - or Farc - to secure the release of hostages the rebels hold, and six have so far been freed under this initiative.

But he lamented the killing of Reyes - whom he called a "good revolutionary" - when he spoke on his show, "Alo, Presidente".
Colombia's defence minister had described the death of Reyes as the "biggest blow so far" to Farc.
But Mr Chavez described the strike as "a cowardly murder, all of it coldly calculated".
He said Colombia "invaded Ecuador, flagrantly violated Ecuador's sovereignty".
Mr Chavez addressed his defence minister, asking him to "move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately" - a deployment likely to involve several thousand soldiers.
"The air force should mobilise. We do not want war. But we are not going to let them... come and divide and weaken us."
He ordered the Venezuelan embassy in Bogota closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.
Mr Chavez had earlier warned Bogota that any incursion into Venezuelan territory similar to Saturday's operation would be a "cause for war".
Ecuador anger
Later, Ecuador announced that it too was taking punitive measures against what it terms an illegal incursion, and had recalled its envoy to Colombia.

But this is not a full severance of ties, as commercial relations will remain intact, said officials at the country's foreign ministry.
In his address, Mr Chavez said Ecuador's President Rafael Correa had also agreed to send troops to the border, Associated Press news agency reported.
President Correa has complained to the Colombian government about its incursion, calling it "scandalous", and a formal protest has been lodged with Bogota.
Colombia's government has received billions of dollars in aid from Washington to fight the guerrillas - as the US, along with the EU, views Farc as a terrorist organisation.
Colombian troops have recently retaken control of areas previously held by rebel groups, but Farc retains a strong hold over Colombia's more remote regions.

Story from BBC NEWS:
BBC NEWS | Americas | Venezuela 'sends tanks to border'

Published: 2008/03/02 22:16:08 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Yet another bonehead move by Chavez. This opposition leader who was killed was a communist rebel who's sided with a left-wing terrorist faction. Naturally, Chavez is backing them, after-all, Birds-of-a-feather...

But this unnecessary military escalation will spell death to Hugo Chavez if he decids to invade. You know damn well the US will not just sit by and let stuff happen when the two, well three of the US's hot ticket items are in peril: Oil, Coffee, and Cocaine.

Your thoughts?

Kazikli Bey · 03-02-2008, 06:06 PM

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Originally Posted by J.Locke777

You know damn well the US will not just sit by and let stuff happen when the two, well three of the US's hot ticket items are in peril: Oil, Coffee, and Cocaine.

Locke... i'm sorry to tell you but... the eighties are over man

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.Locke777

Your thoughts?

Well, my thoughts are that Ecuador has a right to be pissed considering that the battle happened in their territory but i believe that Venezuela has no reason to mobilise its military on the border. What they should have done is protested Colombia's tactics of illegally crossing the border to apprehend the guerrilla's because Colombia should have received permission first and their crossing could be considered an act of invasion (although, it clearly wasn't).

What i would prefer to see is that Chavez take a mediation role rather then defend Farc as he is doing. The best option IMO would be to call for Farc's disarmament with the guarantee that they be allowed into parliament/ congress (not sure the political structure) as a party.

J.Locke777 · 03-02-2008, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Locke... i'm sorry to tell you but... the eighties are over man

Wait, when did that happen

yeah I know, (in borat voice) "I make joke"

Quote:

Well, my thoughts are that Ecuador has a right to be pissed considering that the battle happened in their territory but i believe that Venezuela has no reason to mobilise its military on the border. What they should have done is protested Colombia's tactics of illegally crossing the border to apprehend the guerrilla's because Colombia should have received permission first and their crossing could be considered an act of invasion (although, it clearly wasn't).

What i would prefer to see is that Chavez take a mediation role rather then defend Farc as he is doing. The best option IMO would be to call for Farc's disarmament with the guarantee that they be allowed into parliament/ congress (not sure the political structure) as a party.

Agreed, Equador most certainly has the right to be pissed. I wasn't comming down on them for that. But for Venezuela to be overreacting so dramatically, that's just unacceptable. I too would prefer to see Chavez taking a mediating role in this, but he has chosen to flex his muscle instead. This is a poor choice by such a globally unpopular figure.

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 03-02-2008, 06:36 PM

Venezuela's tanks:

Army of Venezuela - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Quote:

Armor

Tanks and combat vehicles

* 86 AMX-30V Main battle tank- (82 AMX-30V +4 AMX-30D)
* 36 AMX-13C.90 Light tank
* 78 Scorpion 90 FV-101 Light tank
* 42 Dragoon 300 LFV2 Light tank

Man, those AMX French tanks suck. They were designed in the early 1960's. Weak armor, small 105 mm main gun. AMX-30 - Information from Reference.com

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 03-02-2008, 06:39 PM

At 36 tons, it weighs even less than a T-72. This is a light tank.

J.Locke777 · 03-02-2008, 06:41 PM

Lol, well, at least they tried.

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 03-02-2008, 06:52 PM

The only thing I could find about Colombia's tanks was 12 of these M3A1 early WWII tanks.

They do have some infantry fighting vehicles (which are much stronger than this though).

Sebelius for VP, not Hillary · 03-02-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by J.Locke777

Lol, well, at least they tried.

Without looking at your URL, I'm guessing that this is a British Challenger tank.

The Lying Dutchman · 03-02-2008, 06:53 PM

dont understand colombia on this one, why get into trouble with equador? chavez seems to be either talking big again or losing it. getting involved with colombia like this is politically unproductive for him.

J.Locke777 · 03-02-2008, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by W.E.B. Du Bois

Without looking at your URL, I'm guessing that this is a British Challenger tank.

You know more about that stuff than I do. I just typed in "new American Tanks" into google images and found that. According to the website, it was some family from NY. Only in America