If you’re watching that Venezuela/Colombia impasse, they say they’ve got it all solved. Laughable. But I think they need things from each other so this will do for as long as it lasts. Unfortunately, it’s going to be hard. Colombia absolutely must win its narcotrafficante war – its population is radicalized to do it – meaning, nothing matters to them more than this. These are people who braved terrorist bullets like Iraqis to put their president in power. And how they love him! He’s got a 77% and climbing popularity rating. Yes they’re radicalized and they full well will not stop till they win the war.

Venezuela on the other hand, is a drunken disorderly government, steeped in fraud and widely unpopular by more than half the population. Cuban agents have reportedly said it’s a government full of drug addicts. And there is no question that FARC narcotrafficante Marxist terrorists walk around free and train in that country. In fact, there is an uncomfortable feeling that the government is propped up by FARC guerrillas, based on the number of Colombian goons who turn up any time someone gets carbombed or shot in the street. Very unsavory Colombians turn up. So, to ask Chavez to clean out the FARC would be essentially to ask him to commit suicide.

But it’s more complicated than that. Chavez’s base of power has two pillars – the civilian and the military. The civilians are leftist radicals led by Vice President Jose ‘Vissarionovich’ Rangel. The military is led by Jesse Chacon. The latter has always hated the FARC, has fought them for years. The former has always loved the FARC because they are ideological soulmates.
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Now with this agreement, one might guess that the Chacon side has won – and the Venezuelan military will finally be happy they take out the FARC. The Rangel side has lost. But maybe not. It looks like the bone thrown in their direction might be the right to hurt the opposition a little more. Take a look at the wording of that agreement in chavista news organ Venezuelanalysis:

In response to these comments, Army Commander General Raul Baduel declared in a military function Thursday morning that the Venezuelan army would respond to any form of aggression on the Colombian-Venezuelan border. ???????When it comes time to defend the sovereignty and national integrity of Venezuela, our soldiers will not allow incursions into its territory by any illegal armed group, whether it be leftist rebels, right-wing paramilitaries or common criminals.???????

I understand why they added rightwing armed groups, even though there are only leftwing armed groups – they were trying to show that the FARC rebels weren’t there by invitation, but just floated in, same as the rightwing rebels. But for some reason it was important to mention ‘common criminals.’ As if crime laws are enforced in Venezuela? Oh come on! No crime laws, except those directed at political opponents have any teeth. Now they say they are concerned about criminals? I don’t believe them. I think this is veiled language that signals a free rein to crack down on the opposition. After all, what communist regime didn’t label its opponents ‘criminals’? It might be very bad news for Venezuela’s opposition, peace bought at the price of a crackdown on political opponents. I am very wary.