In recent months/years, Venezuela has turned more and more toward drug trafficking as a way of making money.  Mostly in conjunction with the notorious drug trafficking and known terrorist organization, FARC, which is based in Colombia. Venezuela has expelled most if not all DEA agents the US had in the country, after accusing them of overstepping their authority over just drug trafficking affairs.  In fact the DEA had overstepped their authority and were concerning themselves in matters of the Government of Venezuela, but if the Government is the one doing all the drug trafficking this seems like a non sequitur.

Keeping all that in mind: today Hugo Chavez, crazy communistic President of Venezuela, ordered 10 battalions of tanks and troops to the border with Colombia after Colombia, in a joint operation with Ecuador, attacked a FARC terrorist base camp in Ecuador.  The attack killed the second in command of the FARC terrorist organization.  Naturally when one allies themselves with a terrorist organization like Venezuela has to FARC, Venezuela would be inclined to act aggresivly in favor of their terrorist ally.  This would be the cause of Venezuela’s most recent actions.

The question now is how will the US react?  Colombia is a democratic nation, largely supported by the United States and billions of Americans tax dollars.  Venezuela has already withdrawn it’s Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.  If I were an advisor to the President, god forbid such a thing could occur, I would recommend that we withdraw our Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela of at least all non-essential personnel.  I would also recommend that we use choice words in a statement to Venezuela, stating that under any circumstances that our ally of Colombia is attacked by another hostile nation, the United States would be forced to assist and defend its ally.

Unfortunately in recent years (being the last 40 or so) America has a checkered history of defending its allies, especially in South America.  So, unless we come out with our fists up from the beginning… let’s just say I feel sorry for Colombia.

UPDATE: In an interesting turn of events, apparently, Ecuador didn’t jointly attack the terrorist FARC camp inside its own nation but Colombia unilaterally attacked the camp.  Which would mean that Colombia in one way or another violated Ecuador’s sovereignty, which is all right by me, but I think Ecuador would have a problem with it.  And it does.

In a move similar to Venezuela’s, the Ecuadorian government recalled it’s Ambassador and moved some of its troops to its border with Colombia.  

Chavez threatened that if Colombia had unilaterally attacked a terrorist camp inside Venezuela that it would have declared war against Colombia.  Which begs the question why Venezuela is harboring a terrorist organization by its own recognaissance.