America’s New Aggressive Objectives in Colombia

Barack Obama’s administration is starting to stagger in front of the aggressive activity accomplished by right-wing politicians. In Russia, the new American president strongly stated his opposition to the coup d’état in Honduras carried out by the military forces against its legitimate government.

Barack Obama confirmed the existence of a new valid U.S. policy against far-right imperialist aggressions promoted by American groups in association with groups from new democracies in Latin America. These groups exist in Venezuela, Honduras and many more countries with the sole purpose of creating conditions for new coup d’états.

However, the news agency Reuters reports from Washington (“The Spectator,” July 21 2009), that “for the first time since taking office, Barack Obama is losing credibility with his electorate. This was revealed by a “Washington Post” poll which confirms that Obama has slipped 8 percent due to doubts about his banner project: the application of Social Security.”

Even I can state my evident confusion regarding the major strength exempted by the far-right imperialistic politicians in the new democratic government. These right-wing public officials still working today are a legacy from the George Bush era. It is important to mention Bush’s engagement in hostile politics against countries in the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. However, it is clear that subsequent to Obama’s announcements in Russia concerning the coup d’état in Honduras, North American foreign policy has changed profoundly. I even dare to make a horrid statement that would implicate a setback to the dozens of years and the durable efforts committed in order to respect international law and the laws of each independent country – Latin American and Caribbean- which have systematically cooperated with U.S. governments. An example could be the Colombia Plan, conducted by Democratic president Bill Clinton in alliance with the conservative Colombian president Andrés Pastrana. The Colombia Plan established a military and financial help mechanism intended to fight insurgent Colombian groups. These belligerent military groups have been operating for decades in Colombia, responsible for disturbing the peace and the installation of terror for about 60 years, causing over two million Colombian civilian deaths. The financial and military support during George Bush’s administration has aggravated the internal war, intensifying the political violence and desire for power.

This is where, under my own responsibility, I can declare my opinion concerning the new U.S. Secretary of State. Former President Bill Clinton’s wife is pressuring the current Obama administration to redeem its power and influence by getting involved in Colombia’s and Latin America’s internal matters.

Precisely in these moments, since the 16th of July, more talks have started to emerge regarding the increase of U.S. power in Colombia. “El Diario,” a formerly liberal newspaper and now property of right-wing Spanish news agency “El Tiempo de Bogota,” has reported that U.S. military personnel and aircrafts (prepared for war and maintaining the peace, of course) will be using three Colombian military bases. The Colombian bases are intended to be used for military and espionage purposes and to replace the loss of Manta, an American base in Ecuador. The U.S. will be using the Colombian military bases in Palanquero, a city close to Bogota, a part of the entire central Colombian security system and of Bogota, Malambo, which will have an influence in the Atlantic department on the Colombian coast in the Caribbean Sea, and the Apiay base in order to gain influence in Meta, the Colombian territory which borders Venezuela and Brazil. The newspaper “El Tiempo” reports that according to government sources from the Defense Ministry, the number of authorized personal will be 800 soldiers and 600 “civilian contractors” – which is how the two administrations have named the members of the paramilitary organizations that are currently employed as auxiliary war individuals by the U.S. and the other world powers. The issue is so questionable that Uribe Vélez’s own administration has stated that “They will employ specific measurements, respecting the immunity anticipated by such a treaty, due to the follow-up processes which entail room for violation of Colombian law.”

Uribe Velez’s administration and all its ally parties are hoping that this monstrosity will be passed without much debate in the Colombian Congress or will be treated as an extension to previous agreements.

The North American ambassador to Colombia, William Brownfield, has confirmed for in the July 18th edition of “El Tiempo” that “The other bases that will be used by the U.S. troops will be the one in Málaga Bay in the Pacific.” He also added “Access to this bay currently exists, and you can frequently see American ships.”

It could be stated that Colombia is hiding from its own citizens and the rest of Latin America the fact that it already has American military bases on the Colombian Coast in the Pacific.

I know the risks involved by condemning the anti-national conduct in Colombia, risks that are unknown to Colombian institutions under the control of North American military bases.

I have to repeat a phrase by the great Colombian poet Eduardo Carranza, a phrase used to explain to Pablo Neruda the real situation in our country. All he had to say way “Pablo, this is Colombia.”