As readers of my postings on the topic may have noticed, I have always held a certain admiration for Sr. Chavez of Venezuela, and have never joined in the chorus of his detractors here and elsewhere.

My admiration for him is sharply increased today, since he has called on the FARC narcomurderers to stop their blatantly failed attempt to overthrow Colombian democracy by force. This is another bitter blow to the narcomurderers, continuing 2008 as truly an annus horribilis for them.

In a very perceptive speech, Chavez pointed out that the days of violent rebellion (pseudo-rebellion in the case of the FARC narcos) are long gone. Dramatic poltical strides towards social justice can be made in Colombia, but only if murder and kidnap are taken off the table.

Well done, Senor Presidente!

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/09/world ... 0&emc=eta1

He has also reversed a law he introduced a few weeks ago by decree about spying on fellow citizens.

Well done indeed. Stability is what is needed in the region and the assurance that Chavez has given will calm many fears, both internally and among neighbours.

twtone: Lets hope FARC heeds Chavez call and that pressure is applied to Uribe and his regime to bring an end to their campaign of arrest, harrassment, intimidation, torture and killing of political, trade union and human rights opponents and to bring about the disbandment of their allies in the Right Wing Death Squads. Colombia has been for too long denied democracy.

You're wrong there. Colombia is a democracy. Only yesterday I posted details of the results of the last presidential election, held in 2006.

Anyway, I have no intention of repeating myself to you--I think you're a Moonie!

Now, the sane readers of these postings may be interested to hear that various other Latin American leaders have echoed Chavez's call. Mexican president Felipe Calderón
called on the FARC to "abandon the road of violence and unconditionally free all those they hold kidnapped". Calderon pointed out that the Latin American experience showed that decades of of guerilla war had never yielded the access to government that participation in democracy offered. Peruvian president Alan García congratulated Chavez for his initiative, saying that the FARC "now weaker and more vulnerable than before" should pay heed to Hugo.

A good day for the people of Colombia, indeed made even better by the news that Ecuador and Colombia are preparing to renew diplomatic relations, following the Colombian military's attack on the FARC gang that was using Ecuador's territory to kill Colombians.

Posters who don't know Latin America don't understand the profound feelings of solidarity and brotherhood that exist between the nations of that continent, especially those which share the Spanish heritage. Those posters are probably surprised (and, one suspects, disappointed) to see friendly relations returning so quickly after regional tensions.
I'm not surprised, but then again I know Latin America.

twtone, nobody denies that Colombia holds elections. So too does Zimbabwe and Uzbekistan. Are they both democracies too?

The Uribe regime is not democratic. It engages in harrassment, intimidation, arrest, torture and murder of political opponents, human rights activists and trade union activists. It has an appalling human rights record, acts in collobaration with Right Wing Death Squads and narco trafficers and Uribe himself is now personally being investigated for direct personal involvement in a massacre of innocent civilians. Thousands of members of the UP were also executed by the Colombian regime and its allies in the likes of the AUC when they tried to go down a political path

btw twtone you never answered what I asked you in relation to the comments about Uribes regime by Democratic Pole. Care to answer now? Is Uribe right to describe Democratic Pole as "terrorists"?

Here is an excerpt from an interview with Democratic Poles Gustavo Petros referring to the collobaration between the Colombian state and right wing Death Squads/narco trafficers

http://www.democracynow.org/2007/3/9/co ... tro_defies



What do you think of Democratic Pole now twtone?

What?

He just realized that he was undoing his image as a South American statesman amongst the rest of the SouthAmerican nations, and that he was on the verge of being isolated. So he just backpedalled very quickly. This only means that he values he political life and doesnt want to throw it away.. just like any other politician.

I suppose you're right, to some extent. I would agree that it is a pragmatic decision, but you're wrong to say that Chavez is diplomatically isolated. He still has several cheerleaders among the other Lat American leaders.
I would think it's based on a cold analysis of the dire military situation the FARC now finds itself in. They are currently at their weakest in almost two decades, I would say. Leaders killed or detained, others extradited to the US on drugs charges (the FARC bosses don't like going to the US--I wonder why!), defections of leadership cadres, bodyguards of the top capos turning on the guys they're supposed to mind etc.

In contrast Colombian democracy remains strong--though imperfect-- and the Colombian economy is now one of the strongest in the region. An end to FARC terror will put many fundamental questions on the table, issues of social justice, corruption and the rule of law.
Only a fool--and regrettably we have them here on this site--could support the narcoterror in Colombia.

Chavez is no fool. He can see the writing on the wall. It says: ADIOS FARC.

twotone: Thats you then twotone. You support the narco-terror of Uribe and his regime and his buddies in the Right Wing Narco Death Squads.

Any chance of telling us what you think of Democratic Pole twotone?

If he's reversed his plans on the intelligence services and making civil servants swear an oath of loyalty to his "Bolivarian Revolution", then that is welcome news indeed.

__________________
"Unless you are an absolute pacifist, then you acknowledge that there are times when taking up arms is appropriate."
- cactusflower