Bush: U.S. Stands With Colombia In Battle With Venezuela
Related: Bush Attacks Chavez’s “Provocative Maneuvers”
Wash Times:
Related/Dirty Bomb/Chavez Funding
President Bush today said he supports Columbia in its military standoff with Venezuela and Ecuador, criticizing what he called “provocative actions” by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Mr. Bush also called on Congress to pass a free trade agreement with Columbia, calling it a “matter of national security.”
Mr. Bush spoke with Columbian President Alvaro Uribe by phone from the White House this morning.
“I told him that America fully supports Colombia’s democracy, and that we firmly oppose any acts of aggression that could destabilize the region,” Mr. Bush said.
Venezuela and Ecuador have both placed thousands of military troops on Columbia’s border following a cross-border raid over the weekend by Columbia’s military, targeting a senior Columbian rebel.
Mr. Bush, however, indicated his support of Columbia’s actions and his intent to support them in this conflict.
“America will continue to stand with Colombia as it confronts violence and terror and fights drug traffickers,” Mr. Bush said.
Mr. Bush also said that Mr. Uribe told him this morning that congressional approval of the pending free trade agreement with Columbia is “one of the most important ways America can demonstrate its support for Colombia.”
Mr. Bush said that “the free trade agreement will show the Colombian people that democracy and free enterprise lead to a better life.”
“It will help President Uribe counter the radical vision of those who are seeking to undermine democracy and create divisions within our hemisphere,” Mr. Bush said, in an obvious shot at Mr. Chavez.
Mr. Chavez has positioned about 9,000 soldiers on his countries” border with Columbia, and yesterday, Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa also ordered troops to Columbia”s border.
The Columbian military forces crossed Ecuador”s border to kill Raul Reyes, second in command of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and said they found evidence of Venezeulan cooperation with FARC.
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Go GWB!
March 4th, 2008 at 3:10 pmWould it actually KILL the WaTimes, and all other “news” outlets, to actually call the man “Pres. Bush” for MORE than just the opening statement … if that?
The man is finishing out his second term as PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES … The 2000 Fla. muti-count is long over, and HE won … The 2004 Ohio voting irregularities didn’t hold donkey piss … and NO damn city council is going to be successful in “impeaching” him … Get the fuck over it, already!
The man IS President … He will be until that day next January when he turns over the White House keys and garage door opener to Pres. John McCain …
March 4th, 2008 at 3:13 pmYeah Bush! Chavez better watch his ass because when GWB starts talking like this it usually means somebody is about to get some
March 4th, 2008 at 3:13 pmThis might just force Fidel Castro out of retirement … or the meat freezer … wherever he is these days.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:24 pmhaha yeah it might. personally i think they have already cryogenically frozen him so he can come back as dictator in the 2030.
This could very well become a battle royale
March 4th, 2008 at 3:26 pmColumbia is extremely important to the U.S.. Geographically positioned as a filter to other South American countries that might not consider us a friend, they are also the largest country near the Panama Canal. Whatever we can do to “assist” them in confronting that “Saddam Wanna-Be” Chavez and his equally corrupt buddy Correa, we should be willing to do. With all the crap going on in the world the hour of choosing sides is nigh. Hesitation and prolonged negotiations allow time for the “dirty bomb” makers and covert nuclear weapons facilities builders to complete their projects.
March 4th, 2008 at 3:50 pmFor some, the reality of it all won’t sink in until it lands on our front porch (again!).
As the front moves closer to the mainland, which side of the line do you fall on?
Time to kick the Mambo Chimp’s ass!
March 4th, 2008 at 3:55 pmHey, Chavez, can you say JDAM?
March 4th, 2008 at 4:26 pmI said it before … I’ll say it again:
Chupame, pendejo!
Chupa filha da puta, Jabba!
March 4th, 2008 at 4:33 pmWay to jawbone there you Texas tin horn, mr. tough guy on the security and threats of everybody’s border except the United States of America.
March 4th, 2008 at 4:35 pmWe get Chertoff and a $20 mil Boeing fence that wont work. Thanks Mr.President, fine job.
I would bet the Iranians have been encouraging Hugo a bit…..could be like the Cold War era and proxy wars.
March 4th, 2008 at 5:08 pmCb 10, crybaby
March 4th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
way to go, W! 
Teach those morons not to mess with the US.
March 4th, 2008 at 6:18 pm@ticticboom
roger that. that little moron has no f’ing idea what he could wind up against. The rain forest could use a little venezuelan fertilizer.
March 4th, 2008 at 7:13 pmdrillanwr you are on it!
LOL!
March 5th, 2008 at 4:26 amI couldn’t help comment about Hugo Chavez. If you dig deeper than what our news sources tell us, you will find that Chavez was the first one to offer aid after Ketrina. He was also willing to offer the US a special constant price of $50 a barrel, which the greedy oil companies didn’t like. They also didn’t like the fact that he donated millions of barrels of oil to Tom Kennedy’s nonprofit business of supplying gas and oil to poor families during the Winter. And now he wants to use the oil profits in Venezuela to build schools and hospitals. Don’t forget that he grew up very poor and has an afinity for the poor in his country. And contrary to what some beleive, he is not a dictator, but was elected democratically, by the people. Chavez refuses to let big greedy oil companies take his oil to make the rich richer. He is pulling people out of poverty and crime in his country with the profits and putting in back into the community. (See Gregpalast.com and also youtube and google for more info on Chavez.) Recently Chavez had been working to persude Columbia to release hostages. I honestly don’t think he is as bad as the US would want us to believe. They just hate him because they can’t control him.
March 5th, 2008 at 4:45 amSomebody been drinking the kool-aid?
Chavez is a stalinist wanna-be. He has been previously jailed for attempting to overthrow the government once. During his initial election he sent storm troopers into the barrios and forced people to vote at gunpoint. He imprisons dissenters and shuts down media outlets that don’t tow the “party line”. He seizes private property from his own citizens for his personal profit when they don’t support him. He has been taking profits earned from the oil fields his government stole from private companies and used it to purchase 100,000 AK-47s, 30 Jet Fighters, 20+ helicopters, various warships, etc. etc. etc.
Instead of re-investing wealth back into his country, he has been financially supporting communist movements in Columbia, Ecuador, Argentina, Peru and Brazil. He has been sending millions to Cuba to prop-up the defunct Castro Regime. He has been providing funds to Iran to support their Hezbollah operations. And the only way someone in Venezuela can get help from the government if they’re impoverished is to show-up at one of Chavez’s “rallies” and stand in the bread line.
Chavez didn’t have the oil rights to offer $50 per barrel oil at the time and we disagreed with the offer because it would have required private companies to willfully give up their stakes in oil fields they had paid billions to Venezuela for development and exploration rights. We laugh at his support of the neo-communist Kennedy because it seeks to continue the impoverishment of those who accept all the while being nothing but a self-promotion stunt. He cares even less about them than his own poor.
And Chavez has NEVER negotiated with Columbia to free hostages. He is in COLLUSION with the FARC COMMUNIST TERRORISTS and has “arranged” the release of a few token hostages (out of the over 150 they actually hold) as part of a PR campaign in an attempt to legitimize his rapidly failing government.
And while we here in the Dollard Nation do enjoy a good debate with poor lost souls such as yourself, I suggest you do more research next time instead of coming in here with this Clinton era historical spin crap. All in all your not much more than a neo-communist yourself.
March 5th, 2008 at 7:13 amHugo is a murdering communist thug. The people of venezuala deserve better, someone to drag them up out of poverty, not grind them down into the dirt. He is also funding the brutal terrorists of FARC and their war against the democratic nation of Columbia.
The fat piggy needs to die.
March 5th, 2008 at 8:55 amOK, let’s review the facts: Chavez supports commie rebellion (FARC) in neighboring country, which commie group is trying to develop dirty bomb. Kevin Spacey, Sean Penn, Harry Belafonte, Naomi Campbell, Danny Glover, as well as politicians Nancy Peloski, Chuckie Schumer, Patrick Kennedy, etc., etc. kiss up to Chavez, and dis Colombia because they are an ally of the US and won’t enact stiff trade union mandates in their country, even though since new US ally president, Colombia has made alot of progress in democracy, prosperity, etc. Maybe they want FARC/Chavez to launch dirty bomb in their neighborhood? Oh, and Jen, you are a complete idiot. Get your facts straight before mouthing off. The economy in Venusuela since Chavez took over is in the toilet. He has funded FARC to the tune of millions, including drug and gun running. Take your drivel elsewhere, to Kos.
March 5th, 2008 at 9:57 amThis Is for Jen—First PYHO—Pull Your Head Out–you must be suffering from O2 deprivation. Stick to things you actually know about, ’cause you don’t know SHIT about this. The FARC is who is holding the hostages (more than 700), among them 3 Americans. Think you can read a couple of blogs and be an expert? I’ve been knocking around down since 1991. I’ve seen illeagal roadblocks set up by the FARC. It’s just one of the ways they take hostages. Yeah—I ran it.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:36 amColumbia defended itself by executing the people trying to overthrow the columbian government. Hugo is pissed because the people Columbia killed were propped up by Hugo.
March 5th, 2008 at 10:38 am
Cahvez; is a punk-puke dictator of the worst kind. And the worst kind is one who exports the terror that they forment.
March 5th, 2008 at 6:40 pmThe sooner the people of Venezuela rise up and punk him, the better.
Simple as that.
dave
March 6th, 2008 at 3:48 amSi Si Pue’do , viva La Raza whetto dave,