Colombia's Pickle

For many years, I was a regular itinerant throughout most of Latin America. Out of all my frequent stops, Colombia was on the top of my list. Though I developed close contacts in every country (except for Venezuela and Paraguay). The closest were in Colombia.

Paraguay, I never touched, for being a forgotten irrelevant country in my travels. To give you an idea, back in the 90’s, the largest economic activity for that country was the laundering of stolen cars and trucks to and from Argentina and Brasil. Needless to say, I avoided it like the plague. Venezuela on the other hand, though an important market, corruption made it not worth my while bothering with it. Except for Chile, there is wide corruption in every country in South America. But its level of intensity was always kept to a low level; enough that it became a background nuisance – Just another minor cost of doing business. In Venezuela however, corruption is taken to an exquisite art form. From the high level executive decision maker, down the feeding chain to the lowly custom agent or truck driver, they all voraciously skimmed, pilfered, and extorted you out of a profit. Not worth my while.

I first started going to Colombia in the mid 1990’s, when I was involved in the Cotton trade. For those who do not know, Colombia has the most intensive development of the textile industry in the whole region. By the late 1990’s however, I was deeply involved in a different type of industry – A “booming” industry, which eventually brought me to this here Castle. Not surprisingly, I have been following with interest the current row, going on down range.

For decades, whenever the Colombian Government hammers hard on the ELN and FARC Guerrillas, they scoot over across the borders and cool their heels in the neighboring countries for Rest and Recuperation. Mostly this is done inadvertently and without the consent of Colombia’s neighbors. Try as you can, it is very difficult to police the frontier regions in such vast uninhabited regions of the Amazonian hinterlands. However, the resurgent Leftist “Bolivarian” Revolutions in Venezuela and Ecuador, changed the whole equation. These countries are now actively providing support and succor to these Narco-terrorists. Venezuela, has been more active in its moral and material support. Ecuador has been more coy and indirect in its efforts.

A few months ago, the Colombian Government put every single member of the FARC’s Secretariat (Leftist Guerrillas version of a Board of Directors), on a hit list. At such, it is actively hunting down all of its members. When last week, it cornered FARC’s Number Two just outside of Colombia, it launched a frontal attack. Last week (and unreported in the U.S.), it took down a series of guerilla defensive positions right on the Colombian side of the border. Once the defensive perimeter was taken down, they went for the jugular. A flight of the Colombian Air Force’s Super Tucanos swooped across the border, penetrating Ecuadorian airspace 10 Kms. before hooking back North for the kill. This strike was so effective, as it took many guerrillas, including the FARC’s Capo in their P.J.’s. The Army either simultaneously, or in conjunction then smashed their camp (1.8 Kms. inside the Ecuadorian border) with Helo-borne troops.

Now, why did Colombia strike inside Ecuador’s territory, without prior consultations with the Ecuadorian government? For months, the Colombians suspected that the Ecuadorians were actively supporting the guerrillas. Pre-advise to the Ecuadorian government would have only served to warn their guerrillas of the impending offensive – Defeating the whole purpose. Now, this was not an improvised jungle camp, as it apparently had semi-permanent structures, a well stocked kitchen, and even a poultry farm attached to it. This further confirms Ecuador’s complicity in the affair, as it is impossible for such a facility to remain unknown to the Ecuadorians. Right as the assault was being launched, the Colombian President called his Ecuadorian counterpart. In this initial conversation, the Ecuadorian President expressed understanding and acquiesced to Colombia’s preemptive strike in its territory. The following morning however, the Colombian’s were surprised to see the blistering televised address that the Ecuadorian President delivered. In amongst all the vitriol launched against the Colombians, was an order for the Ecuadorian Army to march a division to the Colombian Border. Why the about face? Not to be surpassed, Pig-faced Chávez addressed his nation, calling the Colombian President among many things, an Imperialist Lackey of Bush, Narco-Mafioso, and Criminal. In it, he ordered ten Infantry and Tank Battalions to march to the Colombian border.

Why the energic response? Well, it seems that the deceased FARC’s Nº Two´s laptop, there was chock-full of incriminating documents, linking directly The FARC with dealings with the Ecuadorian Minister of Defense and of course the Venezuelan President himself. The Colombians have released a bundle of them to justify its position. For those who can read Spanish, HERE is it. With so much egg in their face, its not surprising to see Ecuador’s and Venezuela’s response.

Sabre rattling aside and such armed mobilizations, I doubt that Ecuador and Venezuela are about to invade. Not even with the combined strengths of both armies, they lack the force to effectively invade Colombia. Not only the Colombian military is strong enough to stand-off any military incursion in its territory, but remember Colombia is twice the size of the State of Texas. And unlike Texas, its territory is unforgiving to move large armies effectively.

Now, the fighting has moved to the diplomatic sphere. All sides are hashing things out at the Organization of American States. There is a programmed Latin American Summit to be held next week in The Dominican Republic, and other countries such as Spain are brokering our an accord. In my opinion, things will ratchet-down in a few weeks. Then again… they said the same thing of Saddam’s tiff on August 1st 1990.

Just my opinion,
BOQ