May 16, 2008

Dastardly Doings in South America

Hopefully, the blogs will force this one into the national media. Via Michelle Malkin's blog:

Many documents retrieved from the rebel computers discuss Venezuelan efforts to help the FARC obtain weapons, including rockets.

In March 2007, a rebel commander known as Timochenko wrote that “intelligence officials from our neighboring navy” say it’s very difficult to obtain “rockets,” but that “they’re disposed to help us get all the parts to build them.”

In a January 2007 note, Ivan Marquez, the rebel’s main go-between with the Chavez government, mentions “the possibility of taking advantage of Venezuela’s purchase of arms from Russia to include some containers destined for the FARC.”

Another message from Marquez, dated Aug. 20, 2006, describes a visit to an anti-aircraft missile factory in China by a Venezuelan official who is said to have returned with a catalog for the FARC.

This was accompanied by a telling headline from today's Globo:

Brazil may have to condemn Chavez for his connection to FARC

This would be especially embarrassing after Brazilian president Lula made a big show of calling Chavez "the great peacemaker" a few weeks ago.

If the Brazilian government could see beyond their rose-colored spectacles just long enough to notice how Chavez is undermining not only Brazil but the entire region, they could very well throw their weight behind Uribe and end the Chavez threat for good.

Chances of that happening? Well, as the article beneath the above headline shows, they are reluctant to even term FARC a terrorist group.

Posted by Andrew on May 16, 2008 12:31 PM.