Latin American politics sometimes takes on broad, regional patterns. About two years ago, many began proclaiming or denouncing (depending on ideological bias) the “new left” in Latin America. Whether that trend is leftist or “populist” or something else, or whether that trend is continuing, or even whether it’s one trend (as opposed to divergent trends) is still a matter of discussion, of course.
But it’s been clear for some time that Chávez has sought to give Venezuela a leading role in Latin America. Venezuela, of course, is certainly well positioned. It’s geographically central (near the juncture between Central America, South America, and the Caribbean). It’s also oil-rich, w/ a recently skyrocketing international price of oil. It also can exploit the region-wide “Bolívar” myth. And, as Fidel’s self-proclaimed heir, Chávez has no shortage of opponents (and supporters—both internationally and domestically).
The recent mobilization of Venezuelan troops to the Colombian border suggests a potentially dramatic change in this relationship. The move comes immediately after Colombian military forces engaged FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) rebels across the border in Ecuador, killing a top rebel leader.
For some time, Chávez & Uribe (Colombia’s president) have fought a war of words over the FARC. The rebel group has waged a decades-long, cocaine-fueled insurgency against the Colombia government. Internationally, it’s perhaps best known for its hundreds of kidnappees. And while Chávez has frequently made statements supporting FARC, there has never been any credible evidence that there are material ties between FARC & Chávez’s government.
But mobilizing six battalions (including armored battalions) to the Venezuela-Colombia border, while also making statements that more closely integrate the FARC into the “Bolivarian” revolution, seem steps in the opposite direction. So far, Chávez is reacting more hawkishly about the incident than in Correa (Ecuador’s president, also a leftist & friend of Chávez). That in itself seems odd. So. What is going on?