Published: Friday, December 30, 2005
Bylined to: John Johnson
Latin America: The Yanquis are coming to put down progressive surge
Latin America preparing for the "Yanqui invasion." US positions
military forces in Latin America to confront the surge of popular socialism in
the Western Hemisphere. The Bush administration and its Congressional
allies, consisting of right-wing Cuban-Americans like Florida Rep.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Christian fundies who tout the imperialist line of
televangelist Pat Robertson, are backing the Pentagon's plans to expand
its military presence in Latin America.
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has authorized the expansion of U.S.
military bases -- called Cooperative Security Locations (CSLs) -- the
Mariscal Estigarribia airbase in Paraguay near the Bolivian and
Brazilian borders, Eloy Alfaro International Airport in Manta, Ecuador;
Comalapa International Airport in El Salvador; the Soto Cano Air Base in
Comayagua, Honduras, "Plan Colombia" military installations throughout
Colombia, covert bases in Peru, Reina Beatrix International Airport in
Aruba; and Hato International Airport in Curacao.
These bases, which are staffed with a relatively small US military
presence and a larger contractor element drawn from the ranks of ex-patriot
American and other military veterans who have lived in Latin America
since the Contra war days, have the capability to ramp up military
operations at short notice.
Latin America: The Yanquis Are Coming to Put Down Progressive Surge
The Bush administration is trying to cobble together a Latin American
"coalition of the willing" to take on progressive governments in Latin
America, including those of Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Argentina,
Venezuela, Uruguay, Cuba whose ranks may swell in 2006 to include populist
governments in Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico.
For that reason, the US Southern Command is planning a saber-rattling
military exercise in Paraguay in 2006 called "Fuerzas Comando 06."
Although the Pentagon has invited some 20 Latin militaries to
participate, Brazil's military chiefs see the United States as their primary
security threat. The Brazilian military (as well as Venezuela's) is
keeping a close eye on US military activity in Guyana near the Brazilian
border.
Brazil's armed forces have also held a training exercise called
Operation Jauru that was partly targeted against any future US military
incursions from Paraguay into Brazil, Bolivia, or Argentina. Brazil is
coordinating with the militaries of its progressive neighbors to counter the
US military threat to Brazil and its neighbors.
John Johnson
JJOHNSON75@nyc.rr.com
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