Two democracies collapsed in South America today – Venezuela’s, where Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez has now crowned himself ruler by decree, and Ecuador, where rabid red-shirted mobs aligned with President Rafael Correa, drove the democratically elected opposition congress out of power and into the streets, leaving only Correa with any power and who, as of this writing, is also a dictator in the Chavez-Hitler mould.

Is it any coincidence, then, that Hugo Chavez has seized absolute power on almost exactly the anniversary of Hitler‘s assumption of power? What a coincidence.

Amid this democratic horror show in South America, at the eye of the storm surrounding it, Colombia stands, calm and alone. It’s nevertheless in great danger. Leftists in the U.S. want to strip it of resources to fight the war on drugs and the fearsome Marxist narcotrafficantes, whose sole aim is Castroite dictatorship. Meanwhile, to the south, Colombia is being encircled by hostile neighbors – among them are Venezuela and Ecuador. Bolivia is also hostile, and not that far away.

Colombia, truly, is in the eye of tyranny’s hurricane, and it’s a very big one swirling around it on all sides.

But what is Colombia? Daniel of Venezuela paid the country his first visit in 30 years, and was deeply taken with the sweet peace and safety and freedom he saw on the streets of Bogota. He was struck by the absence of filth, the absence of communist propaganda, the absence of graffiti, and the lively, warm shops and streets where houses no longer had fences and kids were free to go out and play.

It was so sweet it hurt to read it.

We must do everything in our power to support Colombia, absolutely everything, and then some, too. This beautiful country has really done something good with itself, pulled itself out of the screaming cesspit of hell and rose to the sunshine and planted flowers. Colombia is a truly great nation.

Daniel’s account of his unspeakably sweet encounter with Colombia is one of his best pieces ever. It’s seriously topical and an absolute must-read here.

P.S. – I will have a big post up tonight about the disasters in Ecuador and Venezuela.