Colombia/Venezuela

Chavez to revise relations with Colombia after troop agreement

Article published on the 2009-07-21 Latest update 2009-07-22 09:40 TU

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaking to journalists in Bolivia last week
(Photo: Reuters)

Venezuela's President, Hugo Chavez, has said his country will review its relations with neighbouring Colombia after a recent troop agreement.

The deal will permit US troops to operate from Colombian facilities and Chavez described it as a "threat", saying that it opened the door to Venezuela's "constant attackers".

Colin Harding, of Oxford Analytica, says the Colombians "have been very careful to point out that these aren't actually US bases they're talking about".

"The US base in Ecuador, which is now being dismantled, was a sovereign US base - the Americans actually ran it," Harding says, pointing out that the Colombian arrangement means the Americans will be "using Colombian military facilities but the Colombians will still be in control".

Ecuador recently evicted the United States military from a base in its country. The US had used it as part of its anti-drug operations.