PARIS, (Reuters) – Latin American heavyweight Brazil voiced its concern yesterday over a Colombian plan to give the United States more access to its military bases and said it hoped a regional meeting today could resolve the issue.
Colombia, a close U.S. ally, has faced strong criticism from Venezuela’s leftist President Hugo Chavez who has condemned as “imperialist” aggression the plan to allow the U.S. military to use bases for drug and counter-insurgency missions.
In turn, Colombia has responded by accusing Chavez of meddling in its internal affairs and protested to the Organisation of American States (OAS).
The issue has fuelled concerns throughout the region and Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim said yesterday that Colombia must address the worries of neighbouring states. “Of course Brazil respects the sovereign right of Colombia to sign international accords that it judges are relevant to ensuring order in its territory,” Amorim told a conference of France’s ambassadors in Paris.
