Photo Jonathan Blair

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Colombia on a war path?

I just learned from Stratfor that Colombia's President Santos just announced that the army would be expanded by 20,000 and will get better equipment and technology.

Now, explain that to me:

Colombia is wining its war against increasingly weak guerrillas.

For almost a decade now, it has been able to reduce and contain the danger represented by drug trafficking organizations.

Santos and Hugo Chavez act like best friends every time they meet.

The tensions with Ecuador are said by all to have been dealt with...

With Brazil's largish military manoeuvers on its Southern border (on which more later), this new move does not augur well for all the confidence-building that has been talked about so much in recent years.