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Caribbean-Latin America
Venezuela troops head to Colombia border
2008-03-04
Apparently, he's gonna take the army down with him if he can't back down
Hundreds of Venezuelan troops deployed for the Colombian border on Tuesday under orders from President Hugo Chavez, who is sending about 9,000 soldiers to the frontier.

Hundreds of troops were seen boarding four buses and eight trucks at the Paramaracay base in the central city of Valencia on Tuesday morning, headed for the border. Their convoy also included fuel trucks and cranes. A helicopter flew overhead.
where's those tanks, Hoogo?
A base official, speaking on condition of anonymity because she wasn't permitted to speak to reporters, said the troops were heading for the Colombian border, though she didn't specify the location.

Elsewhere, in the northern state of Lara, pro-Chavez Gov. Luis Reyes said Tuesday that battalions in his state were heading for the border."There are mobilizations in Lara state toward the border zone," Reyes, a former lieutenant colonel, told the Venezuelan television station Globovision.
"we are fierce warriors heading to war! I'll stay here, though, and monitor reports"
The Venezuelan military has been tightlipped about the movement of troops since Sunday, when Chavez ordered 10 battalions to the border, including tanks.

Retired Gen. Alberto Muller Rojas, a former aide and close ally of Chavez, told The Associated Press that the 10 battalions being sent to the border region include approximately 9,000 men. He called the troop deployment entirely "preventive."
"preventing internal dissension by creating an external enemy. Next up? Martial law"
Chavez deployed troops in response to Colombia's killing of a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil over the weekend. Ecuador has also sent troops to its border with Colombia, denouncing the military strike as a violation of its sovereignty.

Venezuela's military currently has about 100,000 regular troops and a growing force of reservists that now totals 280,000, said Muller, who in retirement is vice president of Chavez's socialist party.

Colombia's U.S.-backed military has 255,000 regular troops and 62,000 reservists, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies.
and US ships, planes, subs with cruise missiles... Bush pledged Uribe support today
Posted by:Frank G

#16  #8 I heartily recommend visiting Heather Alexander's homepage.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-03-04 23:01  

#15  Reading the tea leaves and the press it looks as these idiots will flap their lips. Even Hugo is smart enough to know he would get his ass handed to him if not it WILL be handed to him and quickly.
Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2008-03-04 22:32  

#14  Some Cuban units were good back in the early 80s when they could get lots of Soviet support and training. Now... different story. I wouldn't bet much on Cuban trained Venezuelan units, especially going up against US trained and battle hardened special forces units in Columbia with US intel and drones. Not unless you want to lose a lot of men.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-03-04 21:07  

#13  Cubans will get their asses handed to them. The Colombians have been fighting hard in the jungles most of this decade. US Advisors and trainers - and presumably US intel shared with them.

Hugos guys are parade heroes.

Not to mention that a couple carriers off the coast will flatten Hugo's air force and destroy the runways - and I wouldn't be surprised to see a battalion of US Airborne, or Rangers, lifted to the combat region upon the invasion. With concomitant air support (one thing we have plenty of).
Posted by: Old Spook   2008-03-04 21:06  

#12  Oh Nooooes! Not the Elite Cuban Units™!
Posted by: Frank G   2008-03-04 20:25  

#11  Wonder how much Cuban support he's getting.

Venezuela in general is extraordinarily corrupt and the military is up to their berets in it, so I doubt it's a very effective force overall. However, I wouldn't be too surprised if Cubans have been working with select units.
Posted by: DoDo   2008-03-04 20:16  

#10  Wonder how much Cuban support he's getting.

Venezuela in general is extraordinarily corrupt and the military is up to their berets in it, so I doubt it's a very effective force overall. However, I wouldn't be too surprised if Cubans have been working with select units.
Posted by: DoDo   2008-03-04 20:16  

#9  Odin's ravens are watching.
Thor is sharpening his thunderbolts.
Frey...
Posted by: 3dc   2008-03-04 18:52  

#8  Stormbringer? Wasn't that a (late version) Deep Purple song? WTF?
Posted by: Frank G   2008-03-04 18:49  

#7   Stormbringer
The greenwood sighs and shudders,
the westwind wails and mutters
Grey clouds crawl across the sky,
the moon hides her face as the sunlight dies
And mankind soon shall realize
the bringer of storms walks tonight

CHORUS:
No mortal dare to meet the glare
of the Eye of the Stormbringer,
For he is the lightning slinger
the glory singer,
the gallows reaper

Upon his shoulder, ravens,
his face like stone, engraven
Astride a six-hoofed stygian beast,
he gathers the fruit of the gallows trees
Driving legions to victory
the bringer of war walks tonight
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2008-03-04 18:13  

#6  Snowman: heh....thass right. And it looks like he wants Dinner Jacket to be his mechanical yeti.
Posted by: Rex Mundi   2008-03-04 16:24  

#5  It seems the Colombians specialize in finding armed folks in jungles and killing them. The Venezuelans - shooting middle class city dwellers. I know where I will place my bets.
Posted by: ed   2008-03-04 16:02  

#4  As I said before, those special forces units the Columbian's have in that area are gonna have a field day with Hugo's boys.
Posted by: DarthVader   2008-03-04 15:30  

#3  He better wear his special +25 to stamina sprocket.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2008-03-04 13:51  

#2  "Hundreds of troops were seen boarding four buses and eight trucks..."
Crammed in there like sardines they were. I am having a vision not unlike the stereotypical Indian passenger train photos....
Posted by: USN, Ret.   2008-03-04 13:45  

#1  Wear all the sashes and sprockets today, Hugo. They make you look more...imperialistic.
Posted by: tu3031   2008-03-04 13:35  

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