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US-Colombia protracted negotiations resulted in a treaty on the American lease of 7 Colombian military bases. This is officially claimed to be a part of the fight against terrorism, but no further details were given.
Discussions over the bases which are to house several hundred of American pilots, sailors and civilian experts lasted several months and were wrangled over in Colombia and other countries. Other Latin America countries are against the US milititary coming back to the region. Moreover, the Treaty was signed when Washington had to withdraw its contingent from the Manta military base by demand of Ecuador. The president of Honduras, Manuel Zelaya, recently deposed by the opposition and the military, also had planned to ask Americans to leave the Palmerola base. Therefore, Colombia opposes the common trend to get rid of American military bases and establish a region of peace in the area.
Many countries in Latin America still remember the US military presence. Recently, the Venezuelan Foreign Secretary Nikolas Maduro called the US-Colombia secret treaty a shame for the whole continent. He was supported by Senator Jorge Robledo, saying that the agreement violates Colombian sovereignty, reports the Prensa Latina radio station:
“Colombians, especially those living in the regions where the bases will be deployed, are against their new neighbors. The local authorities are responding by frightening the population, said a well-known Colombian oppositionist Ricardo Sandino in the National Assembly. He believes that this strategy was initially worked out by the US but will inevitable fail. Permanent threats will not bring peace to the country that has been fighting with rebels for 50 years”.
Colombian top politicians and generals are trying to persuade their people and neighbors that this agreement is aimed only against terrorism and drug trafficking and will be beneficial for the continent. Colombian president Alvaro Uribe has promised to make the signed Treaty public soon. This may probably calm the fears of other countries in Latin America.
Natalia Kovalenko
