Luis Posada Carriles, former CIA operative deeply implicated in the 1976 bombing of a Cubana airline jet that killed 73 people, is facing perjury charges in El Paso. Venezuela and Cuba want to try him for the crime. The United State is balking.
Jose Pertierra, a Washington lawyer who represents the Venezuelan government in the case (and full disclosure: a personal friend), describes the latest twists and turns in this long-running saga in Machetera.
Real Documented Threat or Circumstantial Specter? asks theCouncil on Hemispheric Affairs.
The pairing now known as FARQaeda would represent a disturbing alliance because of the unexamined but equally important backflow, or two-way flow, in this illegal embrace of smuggling junctions.
But how real is the threat? wonders COHA’s Leah Chavla.
no convincing evidence has demonstrated that all or even some of the African drug trafficking agents involved in this lucrative ring are actually members or affiliates of any terrorist organization.
That’s not how the transnational drug traffickers work (for the most part).
Non-simplistic discussion on the jump.
Drug war realities drive a right-left geopolitical confrontation.
“…both governments are right in their accusations. Hugo Chavez may not be supporting Colombian guerrilla groups directly, but he certainly is not making a serious effort to expel the FARC and ELN from his country. The guerillas treat the Venezuelan jungle as a safe house. … Similarly, the Uribe government’s pursuit of new paramilitary drug gangs near the border has been less than enthusiastic. Despite denouncing such groups in press conferences, the Colombian military has largely focused its efforts on the FARC. Paramiiltary groups, especially in border areas, continue to grow quickly in terms of number and firepower.”
Not really. The leftist filmaker told a funny story about meeting the Venezuelan president over a bottle of booze, and Chavista blogger Eve Golinger (“novia de Venezuela”) gets huffy.
Comrades no matter what the bloggers say.
Despite Chavez’s multi-polar strategy, Veneuzela is more addicted to oil than ever.–NACLA via venezuelanalysis.com
