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Washington boosts its military presence in Latin America

Venezuelan Soldiers stand guard April 13, 2002.
(Image end of the story of Guarataro.films , "A golpe y una carta" )

Faced with the rise of Latin American unity and development of regional blocs as are the ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for America), PetroCaribe (petroleum agreements and social), the South Bank or the UNASUR (Union of South American Nations), the United States is trying to regain control in the region dramatically increasing their military presence.

The government of Alvaro Uribe recently announced its intention to allow the U.S. to use seven military bases in Colombian territory, ostensibly to fight drug trafficking and insurgent groups. In this way, Washington offered it a gateway to the continent and its natural resources, including the Amazon. Colombia has five boundaries in effect (with Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Ecuador) and access to both oceans (Pacific and Atlantic via the Caribbean Sea).

So far Washington's policy had been to heavily armed British, his ally strategic in the region and create a military imbalance in favor of it against other countries regarded as potential threats. Well-known strategy that has proven itself in the Middle East with the State of Israel. Since 2000, the United States has contributed over $ 5.5 billion to Colombia through Plan Colombia. The country became the first receiver of U.S. military aid on the continent and the third world.

While the media frequently accuse Venezuela of being the head of an arms race in Latin America (including to buy arms and planes Sukhoi Russia), very few bother to explain what happens in Colombia and what budget is spent on armaments. With the excuse of "struggle against terrorism" (in this case the FARC, ELN and the paramilitaries of the extreme right), the Colombian armed forces are actually the best equipped in Africa.

While Brazil, the largest Southern Cone countries, spends 1.5% of its GDP on defense, Colombia officially dedicates 3.8%. And by Uruguayan journalist Raúl Zibechi, independent studies estimate that Bogota's military spending amounted to 6.5% in real GDP, well above the expenditures of the United States themselves in the matter.

In addition, Colombia is also the country which allocates the largest portion of its budget to military equipment purchases, 25%. So that Venezuela intends to ten times less, 2.3%. Colombia also has the largest army in the continent. His troops have increased from 86 000 staff in 1986 to 120,000 in 1994. This figure was then doubled in just 15 years with the launch of Plan Colombia, reaching 217,000 today. However, if we add that the entire workforce of defense, security and police are counted 460,000 men. In response, neighboring Venezuela does not carry much weight with his 63,000 men.

In addition to seven new databases that will be available soon in Colombia, the United States can also count on their military installations in the following countries: Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay, and on islands of Aruba, Curacao, Puerto Rico and Cuba (Guantanamo). The closure of the Manta base in Ecuador (following the refusal of President Correa to renew the contract) is more than adequately compensated.

Finally, it is worth recalling that in July 2008 the U.S. military had reactivated its Fourth Fleet to patrol the seas of the Latin American continent. This fleet was more active since the end of the Second World War.

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article forthcoming in the next issue of Red Flag .