Political India: Engaging America

From The Hindu

The United States’ troubles in Latin America took a new turn this week as Colombia, fresh from electing a new President, brought a defence agreement between Bogota and Washington to a grinding halt.

The crisis for American military interests in the region was precipitated on Tuesday when Colombia’s Constitutional Court suspended an agreement that provided U.S. troops with greater access to Colombian bases. The Court said it was suspending such access on the grounds that the agreement had not yet won Congressional approval.

The agreement, aimed at boosting anti-drug and counter-insurgency operations, was signed last October and permitted U.S. forces to use seven bases within Colombian territory.

According to reports, the Constitutional Court said that it, “resolves to refer to the President the supplementary agreement for cooperation and technical assistance in defence and security between the governments of Colombia and the U.S..” As per this judgement, the agreement would now go back to the desk of the new President, Juan Manuel Santos, whose government has said it would abide by the court’s decision and study the ruling further.

While the government of President Santos enjoys a strong majority in the country’s legislature and may not have trouble passing the agreement, it is unclear whether this will happen. In its decree, the Constitutional Court however clarified that it had not ruled on the legality of the agreement, rather it had commented on the process by which the pact had been approved.

The defence agreement had sailed through relatively smoothly under former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who did not deem Congressional approval necessary for it to be implemented. Numerous groups, including neighbours Ecuador and Venezuela, subsequently criticised the accord for granting the U.S. military immunity from criminal prosecution within Colombian jurisdiction.

While Mr. Uribe was one of the U.S.’ staunchest allies in a continent increasingly hostile to American regional dominance, Mr. Santos, is less so, according to observers. After being sworn in earlier this month Mr. Santos was quick to mend fences with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who had severed ties with Colombia in July after a border dispute.

Labels: Juan Manuel Santos, U.S. Colombia defence agreement, U.S. Colombia ties

From The Hindu

Close on the heels of an escalating conflict with Venezuela, Colombia ushered in a new regime over the weekend and swore in a new President, Juan Manuel Santos. Mr. Santos immediately struck a conciliatory note towards Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who recently severed ties with Colombia after a conflict with its former President, Alvaro Uribe.

Speaking shortly after being sworn in, Mr. Santos called for Colombia to improve relations with its neighbours, saying, “One of my main goals as President will be to rebuild the relationships with Venezuela and Ecuador, to re-establish the trust, diplomacy and prudence.” Mr. Santos is set to meet with Mr. Chávez on Tuesday.

Hostilities between the two countries were sparked at a meeting of the Organisation of American States in Washington earlier last month, when Colombian Ambassador Luis Hoyos, produced what he alleged was documentary evidence that Venezuela was housing camps of the rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on its soil.

Responding immediately President Chávez severed ties with Colombia describing the Colombian accusations as a “United States-inspired aggression”. Further Mr. Chávez said on state television, “We have no other choice but, out of dignity, to totally break our relations with our brother nation of Colombia.”

Apart from Venezuela, Mr. Santos is also likely to take up the task of mending fences with Ecuador, which also severed ties with Mr. Uribe’s government in 2008 following a raid by Colombian military within Ecuadorian territory.

Challenges of domestic security

He is further likely to face challenges regarding Colombia’s domestic security situation, which is still threatened by the FARC rebel group. Addressing the problem of violence and kidnapping by FARC Mr. Santos said during his swearing-in: “As long as they don’t free the hostages, as long as they perpetrate terrorist acts, as long as they don’t return children recruited by force, as long as they keep on planting mines and polluting the Colombian countryside, we will keep on battling those who commit violence, without exception, by any means available.”

The U.S. sent National Security Advisor Jim Jones to attend the inauguration of Mr. Santos and the White House said it sought to send “a clear message that the U.S. will continue its close bilateral ties and strong partnership with Colombia”. Colombia is one of the U.S.’ staunchest allies on a continent in which the U.S.’ influence has been steadily waning.

Labels: Colombia President, Colombia U.S. ties, Colombia Venezuela ties, Hugo Chávez, Juan Manuel Santos