President Hugo Chavez on Sunday accused the U.S. of violating Venezuela's airspace with an unmanned spy plane, and ordered his military to be on alert and shoot down any such aircraft in the future.Speaking during his weekly television and radio program, Chavez said the aircraft overflew a Venezuelan military base in the western state of Zulia after taking off from neighboring Colombia. He did not elaborate, but suggested the plane was being used for espionage.
Colombia has announced it will build a new military base near its border with Venezuela, in a move likely to further strain its tense ties with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.[...]
Army Commander General Oscar Gonzalez meanwhile announced Saturday that six air battalions were being activated, including two on the border with Venezuela.
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Tensions between Venezuela and Colombia have been spurred by a US deal with Bogota allowing US forces to run anti-drug operations from Colombian bases.
The US continues to win friends throughout South America.
ReplyDeleteI remember learning about the Monroe Doctrine in school. How we were protecting the hemisphere from the Europeans.
Wasn't till years later I realized we'd been saying This Is Ours.
yeah, i read something once upon a time that a nun in south america said she used to hate americans. and then she met some, and she realized that americans don't know what their government is doing. that we are "in the belly of the beast."
ReplyDeletem it's kinda funny, or maybe kinda sad. I read similar thoughts all the time, from Latin America, the Middle East, all across the world from nations who have issues with the US.
ReplyDeleteBasically,they like us but don't like our govt's policies.
But I don't see that so much here.Know what I mean ? Generally I don't hear people who have issues with Iran/Iraq/Cuba/whatever say they like the people,just the govt they don't like.
More often that not I hear Americans say "Nuke the (fill in the blank)".
yes, it IS sad. and i don't understand it. nuke 'em - don't let 'em across our borders, and if they're here, send 'em packin' back to where they came from.
ReplyDeletesometimes i liken us to an abused wife, and sometimes to a spoiled, arrogant brat. in which case george w. was the embodiment of the nation's character. maybe in the first instance as well - at least as concerns denial of dysfunctionality.
12/22/09 6:45 AM
now that i think about it a few seconds (!) it could be that those of us who don't think, feel and act that way are people who don't typically act out or get so riled up. maybe there are a lot more of us than it seems, simply because we tend to live and let live. i'll hope.
ReplyDeleteof course, the fact that we don't tend to get so riled up may be why the nutters always seem to push things their way.
in a match between the givers and the takers, the takers will always have their way.
tolerance is a double-edged sword? pointed straight at the tolerant. ??
12/22/09 6:38 AM
did i accidentally delete someone's comments? please accept my apology if i did, and if you don't mind, try again. i promise to be more careful.
ReplyDelete