BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia's conservative president shocked Latin America last week by asking to join a development bank central to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's drive for left-wing integration in South America.
But the move by Alvaro Uribe, Washington's top ally in the region, was only the latest in a recent series of friendly gestures toward his anti-American ideological opposite.
As the U.S. Congress reevaluates its aid to Colombia and threatens to reject a free trade deal over human rights concerns, Uribe is reaching out to Chavez, even asking him to mediate a deal to free hostages held by Marxist rebels. Reuters
The integration of the Americas and is independence from the Western-dominated IMF and World Bank can be goals attained apart from leftist and rightist ideologies.
I also think that the results of Chavez's intervention between the Colombian government and the Marxist rebels will be quite positive. I think that the long-term result of such talks will be the integration of the rebels into the Colombian political process. "Look how I did it without having to carry out a 40 year revolution," I imagine him saying.
President Hugo Chavez has proposed slashing Venezuela's working day to six hours to turn its socialist revolution into a paradise of leisure - with one exception.
Under a new draft constitution debated in congress this week everyone will have more time for recreation and relaxation. Guardian International
Amen. In fact; in a few years drop it to 4 hours a week. I find it ironic to think that as our civilization continues to make drastic technological advances, that we continue to work long hours despite the fact that we are using more and more computers and machines that can do the work of a thousand men. We are many times more productive than before their implementation, but our workweek does not reflect that aumento.
"Chávez' regime is heading for fascism," said Vargas
Llosa, unleashing the applause of part of the audience.
He added that Chávez turned out to be a dictator who
amended the Constitution to remain in office. El Universal
Chavez is not eliminating elections. He is eliminating term limits. Term limits did not exist prior to FDR in the United States. Australia, France, and Italy do not have term limits. The interesting thing about it, is that the issue will be put up to a referendum prior to becoming law. Elections will continue on a normal basis. What is eliminated are term limits. I've heard plenty of Democrats in recent years wishing that term limits were abolished so that Bill Clinton could have ran again.
Correa arrived in Caracas late Thursday to pay an official visit that, according to analysts, is aimed at proposing Venezuela to rejoin the Andean Community of Nations (CAN).
The Ecuadorian ruler claimed that "being a Bolivarian person is identifying oneself with the 21st century socialism, which is neither an entelechy nor a manual, but a doctrine that was born out of necessity and dreams."...
During a ceremony in the Military Academy, just before the premiere of a film called Miranda is back, Correa asserted, "We are one single fatherland, the great fatherland of Martí and Bolívar. This part of America was Bolivarian in the past and will be Bolivarian in the future. We are not flinching at the pressures of the oligarchy." El Universal
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