Brazil and Colombia will be signing this weekend a defense agreement by which the two South American countries will share military information, technology, training, intelligence, weapons procurement and joint exercises. The document should be signed when Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva arrives for two-day talks with his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe.
The initiative among other things would facilitate air and land joint surveillance of the mostly lawless 1,000 miles shared Amazon border, a transit zone and haven for drug traffickers, guerrilla groups, smugglers, mining and other illegal activities.
The visit is also interpreted as a clear message of support for Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and the efforts of his elected government to end four decades of insurgency, which threatens the region.
Colombia's main rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, is known to regularly cross into Brazil to smuggle cocaine for weapons and equipment for its ongoing fight with Colombian military.
Calls for regional security cooperation took on new urgency after Colombia last March first crossed into Ecuador in hot pursuit of a senior FARC commander which was killed together with several other members of the group. The attack delivered two laptops with valuable information on FARC and their network of contacts and financial support.
But Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez immediately reacted in support of Ecuador by ordering troops to the border. An emergency session of the Rio Group in Dominica Republic helped to defuse the situation and Brazil pushed forward the idea of a South American Defense Council. However President Uribe refused to join, saying Colombia couldn't trust all of its neighbors.
But Brazil insisted because Lula is interested in closer ties with Uribe to counter the regional influence president Chavez has gained with Venezuela's oil wealth. In this line of action Brazilian Defense Minister Nelson Jobim and the big promoter of the regional Defense Council warned on April that any FARC insurgents crossing into Brazil would be met with gunfire.
Lula this weekend will be next to Uribe during the commemoration of Colombia's July 20 Independence Day in Leticia, along the Amazon border. President Alan Garcia of Peru, Colombia's closest regional ally, and with budding insurgency problems of his own, will also be around for the event.
Brazil is also looking to boost arms sales and Colombia so far has proven an excellent client. Colombia in 2006 spent US$ 240 million in the purchase of 25 Super Tucano attack planes from Embraer SA, Brazil's main aircraft manufacturer. The low flying Super Tucano planes, ideal for jungle strafing, led the bombing campaign in Ecuador.
Mercopress
Show Comments (11)
Jerrydill
What?!
I’m sorry Forrest, but that’s a pretty bold statement. I would say that Columbia is the one having the most issues with their government right now. The Brazillian government is much better equipped to handle the FARC rebels. Combining intelligence would be beneficial for both countries, however.
Forrest Allen Brown
some people just need killing
the press is what makes the war look so bad
go behind and look at all the good that has come out of the war ,
less people killed there than on the streets of brasil whom is not at war .
if the US bought Uribe they got there moneys worth . i guess we know how to shop for value
if you bought lula you would not get any thing out of him as his strings are tied with bonds of
shoslist wire and big business
not an arm chair futbal idiot but many a year with arms in my hands
..
Subutai
Arigato, Subutai-san, for your enlightening comments.
Subutai
So sad
My ,my, Listen to the wannabe killers with their armchair strategies. Always wanting to fight and instill fear in others.
Why not try your vicious desires in the middle east? At least over there they know how to fight!,,,, Truth is, that so long South American politicians and govt officals can be bribed nothing will be done for the benefit of the people. Uribe is a tool. He is bought and paid for by Uncle Sam as like most of the south american governments maybe except for Brazil. So long as money can be made by and off of the Guerillas all of your theories go for naught.One does not win guerilla wars gentlemen because for every guerilla you kill at least one family member or aquaintance will be lying in wait for you or your colleagues. The trick is to fix the situations in the countries insted of saitiating your sadistic desires of wanting to murdering people. It didn’t work in Vietnam and it will not work in South America either.
forrest allen brown
treat them as they treat you
if you give them rest they come back
to stop any thing you have to take its will to fight or live
by showing you have had enough they may get in in there heads
you mean business , and are trying to protect the people from them
like a pearent spanking there child when they dont learn and they get fed up
but you cant kill they
Shelly1F
Forrest
[quote]using US sat pic and GPS guided planes the camps would have to be broken up and have to be moved
the trick would to be hit all of there camps at once and give them no real safe place to run to .
hit there people at home . [/quote]
RAMBO!
Forrest Allen Brown
mvc
i ment santana not santos in amapa state
Forrest Allen Brown
mcv
well at best brazil can only field 10.000 troops at a time in the south
but to get troops and suplys in the amounts needed to fight the FARC in the jungles
would take several weeks just to get the ball rolling .
as the closets base would be in santos to the east and manous to the west shiping by boat
5 days from RIO at best , troops the same way by boat as brasil has no large aircraft to transport
them in numbers quickley .
paratroopers hard to use in the jungles , heol in well brasil has the old modles of the french units
at best 6 men at a time and only a 240 mile range .
now if the air force would put guns and bombs on some of the prop planes they could deliver a strong hit to them
on night missions ,
using US sat pic and GPS guided planes the camps would have to be broken up and have to be moved
the trick would to be hit all of there camps at once and give them no real safe place to run to .
hit there people at home .
by watch ing the camps you could see whitch huts had the kidnaped people in them
once the bombs go off then the troops go in for the people and the killing off of any one that has a gun
when you leave set traps for the ones that come back , and have your troops chase them into the jungle and supply them from the air
no countrys boadors should stop you from running them to ground .
if it does than they are not your friends .
look at what the US is putting up with over there
we should level all the villiages and reliougs sites that we know they are hiding in .
and tell them to kiss our butts .
if they dont like we leave let them fight there own war , and not let any of them come the the US for
protection after the bad guys take over .
AS THEY HAD THERE CHANCE
to do the right thing
mcv
I tough u coud know better about military strategy forrest…. 😀 😉 😉
here is a good site if this cames to your attention….www.defesanet.com.br
Forrest Allen Brown
why because there president upholds the law
remember the congress electid to allow him to have a third try at it and he has replaced all the
croupt officals , removed most if not all the drug helpers in the government , police , military and is puting off
one paramilitary group on another ,
the farc is the only one still working and i beleive that is because they get help from chaves & castro
coulmbia has a 8% groth rate for each year he has been in office .
killed or sent out of the country all the major drug cartels
kidnaping is down
toursim is climbing fast
the only issues i can see is from the ones that got caught and are having to make up excues for there actions
as long as brazil keeps up the fare exchange of info and treats it like there lives depend on it
then i hope that the good old boys from up north wont seal the deal to make money for them selves and
screw the country and the indoes
as we know most the gold taken from the north of the amazon goes to vensula
on the backs of slaves
forrest allen brown
Alvaro Uribe. Is a president lula is not !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So does this mean lula will go toe toe with chaves ? on the FARC matter
or will he give out info the Chaves to tell the FARC where the next military hit will be ???
Will brasil use US military wepons and technolgy , or take it home and make a cheeper verson to
use on its own ????
as far as the 2 presidents well right know coulmbia has the best president of all the amercias including the US
and he has the congress to help him not hinder his office .
every one elese just robes and points the ficle finger at one another