On Thursday, Venezuela announced the expansion of military operations along its western border in order to fight drug trafficking and protect a recently discovered reserve of coltan from illegal mining. In what is titled Operation Blue Gold, 15,000 Air Force, Army, and Navy personnel will protect the coltan reserve, which straddles the states of Bolivar and Amazonas.
Since Chavez came to presidency, Venezuela’s economy has grown to fulfil the increasing demand for human dignity. More people are able to access the country’s economic wealth and, at the same time, Venezuela has opened its markets to China and other significant manufacturing leaders. Today, more poor people are able to buy very cheap Chinese fans, refrigerators and TV sets as the least material possessions that many treasure in land where it is hotter each year, and where public runs until 10-11pm.
An August directive by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to “reduce to zero” bi-national trade with neighbouring Colombia has begun to bite, with imports from the neighbouring country falling dramatically. Chavez issued the directive in protest against a military agreement signed between Bogotá and Washington allowing US military troops access to Colombian bases. According to a report by Colombia’s National Department of Statistics, exports to Venezuela fell 49.5% in September. Trade between the two countries is expected to decline even further, after Venezuela imposed a blockade on Colombian agricultural products.
Venezuelan Vice President and Defence Minister Ramón Carrizales claimed on Sunday that he had evidence that a group of Colombians who were kidnapped and assassinated a week earlier in Venezuelan territory were part of a “paramilitary infiltration plan” that aimed to destabilise the socialist government of President Hugo Chavez.
In November lastyear, at the third extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of theBolivarian Alternative for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) - Peoples' TradeAgreement (TCP), the presidents came together with the intention to confront thecrisis of the global capitalist system.
Last week, Venezuelan officials arrested seven suspects in the deadly October 13th attack on an indigenous Yukpa community. However, the investigation was tainted with the arbitrary detention one of the victims, Yukpa Chief Sabino Romero, prompting indigenous rights activists to accuse the government of not fulfilling indigenous rights laws.