Brazil urges South America, U.S. summit over bases

QUITO, (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio  Lula da Silva yesterday urged regional leaders to seek a summit  with the United States to defuse tensions over a Colombian plan  to allow U.S. troops more access to its military bases.

The U.S. proposal to use seven Colombian bases has fueled a  fight between U.S. ally Colombia and Andean leftist leaders in  Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia and also stirred concern from  Chile and regional heavyweight Brazil.

Yesterday’s summit of the Unasur regional group in Quito was  was called to hand over the group’s presidency to Ecuador and  discuss issues such as financial systems and counter-narcotics  but the U.S.-Colombia base plan dominated. Venezuelan President  Hugo Chavez, a fierce U.S. foe, and his allies blasted the  proposal as an aggression.

Washington has given Colombia, the world’s No. 1 cocaine  producer, more than $5 billion in aid to fight drug traffickers  and rebels. It now wants to relocate a hub for anti-drug  operations from Ecuador to Colombia.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who did not attend yesterday’s summit, says the plan is an extension of existing  accords.
Colombia’s defense minister will attend an Aug. 24 meeting  with his South American counterparts to discuss the bases, a  Colombian Foreign Ministry official told the summit.

In proposing a summit with the United States to discuss the  base plan, Lula said, “People will hear things that they don’t  like but we have to talk clearly. This will be resolved with  conversation, with people showing up.

“At a given movement, Unasur can call for a meeting with  the United States to discuss topics of interest to the  region.”
Uribe has toured South America to ease concern about the  U.S. plan and more moderate governments said it was a sovereign  matter. But leftists led by Chavez were furious and the  socialist leader has taken economic measures against Colombia.

“I have the moral obligation to warn about the danger,”  Chavez said. “This could be the start of a new tragedy … The  winds of war are beginning to blow.”

Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa, who began a second term  yesterday, called the base plan “an open provocation.”
Tensions have simmered in the Andes since last year when  Colombian troops raided across the border to kill a Colombian  FARC rebel commander in his camp in Ecuador. Venezuela and  Ecuador briefly moved troops to their borders before the crisis  was defused at a summit in the Dominican Republic.

U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday denied the United  States is planning to set up military bases in Colombia as part  of the upgraded security agreement and said he has no intention  of sending large numbers of additional troops.

The plan is expected to increase the number of U.S. troops  in Colombia above the current total of less than 300 but not  above 800, the maximum permitted under the existing military  pact, officials have said.

“It is essential to call a meeting of the presidents of  Unasur,” said Argentine President Cristina Fernandez, offering  to host a new summit. “A state of belligerency is being created  in the region.”