I feel a profound sorrow for those wannabes who like play emperor and would like to convert Latin America into a new Middle East.

 

April 26, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - Latin American leaders warn of the dangers posed by Colombia’s presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos. The presidential hopeful is a staunch ally of Washington. He has made it clear that he plans to undermine the new Latin American initiative led by progressive governments in Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua.

 

In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez dismissed threatening statements by Manuel Santos. Likewise, Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa who recently announced plans to nationalize the country’s oil wealth, described Manuel Santos as a potential danger for all of Latin America.

 

Hugo Chavez described Juan Manuel Santos a clear threat to Venezuela, Ecuador and Nicaragua. He said any aggression by Colombia against any of the three countries would represent an aggression against all. 

 

Sounding like a speech from the White House, the right-wing candidate said on a televised debate on April 18 that if he were going to be elected as the president of Colombia, he would pursue terrorists wherever they are, Ecuadorian state news agency Andes reported.

Ecuadorian President Correa said, ‘ I feel a profound sorrow for those wannabes who like play emperor and would like to convert Latin America into a new Middle East. ‘Next time they will find Ecuador much netter prepared, we’ll know how to defend ourselves,’ said the Ecuadorian President.

 

The Colombian government has been fighting leftist guerillas in remote areas for years. Bogotá receives billions of dollars in financial and military assistance from Washington every year.

 

Both Ecuador and Venezuela enjoy massive natural resources including oil and gas. For some years now, the US has sought to monopolize the region’s wealth for the sake of Western corporations and thus it is setting up local allies that can help it achieve this objective.