[Marxism] Joaquin Bustelo: Uribe torpedoes Chavez-Cordoba mediation

["Walter Lippmann" <walterlx@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Uribe torpedoes Chavez-Cordoba mediation
by Joaquin Bustelo
Nov 22, 2007 10:48 PM

It's not gotten any attention in the English-language media, but
Colombian President Uribe torpedoed today efforts by Venezuelan
president Hugo Chavez and Colombian Sen. Piedad Cordoba to mediate a
release of prisoners being held by Colombian guerrilla groups.

Uribe's official mouthpiece said the decision was prompted because
Chavez had broken Uribe's orders not to deal directly with the head
of Colombia's armed forces by calling him on the phone. Uribe, who
came on TV hours later, said it was a matter of defending Colombian's
institutions and democracy.

In fact, Sen. Piedad Cordoba explained that it was she who had placed
the call to the Colombian general and after a brief conversation, put
Chávez on the phone just to say hello, reminding Chavez that this was
the tenth anniversary of the capture of a number of Colombian
soldiers who are still presumably being held so he could mention it.
"The conversation didn't last even 20 seconds," she said.

Uribe and his supporters didn't even make much of a pretense that
this was other than a pretext. Political "analysts" claimed that
Chavez had violated some sort of unwritten code by publicizing the
mediation effort, that the guerrillas were taking advantage of this
to make propaganda, and many other reasons all sounding the theme
that this was just the straw that broke the camel's back.

Nevertheless, most of the mainstream media outside Colombia is
studiously avoiding any reference to Sen. Piedad Cordoba's statement.

Among the FARC detainees is a French-Colombian politician, Ingrid
Betancourt. Her husband hit the nail on the head when he told the
Associated Press that Uribe never had the political will to reach an
agreement.

A couple of days ago, Uribe had unilaterally announced a Dec. 31
deadline for the mediation, which was generally regarded as simply an
attempt to sabotage the effort. It now appears that Uribe
misunderstood those he takes his orders from, and they wanted the
mediation brought to a halt immediately.

In a speech tonight at a huge rally in support of a "yes" vote in
next week's constitutional referendum, Chavez did not refer to the
matter. But a foreign ministry statement issued a few hours earlier
said Venezuela lamented the decision but nevertheless accepted
Colombia's sovereign right to make it.

France and groups of relatives of the prisoners called on President
Uribe to reconsider his decision, but word from Bogotá tonight was
that he had no intention of doing so.

It is believed in journalistic circles that Chavez and others made
significant efforts throughout the day to work out a formula with the
Colombian government to reverse the decision, which was announced in
the pre-dawn hours, and it is believed those efforts are continuing.

Joaquin


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