Before we made the trip back to the states (arriving early this morning) we had the chance to meet with several people behind the scenes to get some perspective and a rundown of what we might expect in the coming months. Even with the talk of peace, most in Colombia and others across the border in Venezuela believe that we have only seen the first stand off. Interpol is in Bogota’ to look at three computers seized during the raid of FARC compounds. These computers are linked directly to Chavez and Correa. This is not going to make the leftist leaders happy and as their socialist reforms continue to fail, the expectation is that another military confrontation could be in the works.
Meantime, we also got the chance to hear about all the good will the United States is doing inside Colombia.

Yes there are military advisers that have helped with the remarkable transformation in the war on the drug cartels and terrorist groups, but all sorts of other support is transforming areas once so poor, growing coca was the only answer. American money is helping build schools and finding a transportation system and market for agricultural crops that replace coca farms. One crop beginning to thrive thanks to U.S. help, small potatoes. U.S. intervention has for example set up a system so farmers can grow these small half-dollar size potatoes, then easily ship them out of the country. Their families are fed and drugs are taken out of the equation. More on our trip back: Keep Reading …

Here is a look at a rally for peace through the streets of Bogota. People actually rallied across the countryside. Those we spoke with expressed concern about Colombia’s leftist neighbors. This rally was to protest the innocent people either murdered or abducted here, I am told more than 750 are still held captive including 3 American contractors and a former Colombian Presidential candidate. Some in this crowd were not so welcoming, there were some socialists and anarchists dressed in black who felt we were imperialists for covering the stories here, doesn’t make much sense to me.

FRIDAY EVENING BREAKING NEWS 
After calling each other out and exchanging heated accusations, the most dangerous diplomatic crisis in Latin America in years appears to be over. Presidents Uribe, Correa and Chhavez all shook hands and said the standoff is done and peace has prevailed.

SHOTS FIRED!
Local media in Colombia showing live pictures from border where a few Venezuelan troops allegedly crossed into Colombia and fired shots.
No more details yet.

IMPORTANT FRIDAY UPDATE

The sparks are already flying in the Dominican Republic.
Here are some highlights I have translated and observed….Chavez still to come. Also, we have learned that another one of FARC’s main guys has been killed in an unrelated incident….at least those are the bulletin’s here in Latin America.

Keep Reading …

Here is the latest I have learned from reports tonight explaining the growing tensions in South America.

- All three countries are ratcheting up their rhetoric.

-Ecuador’s Rafael Correa visited Peru to begin a tour soliciting Latin American backing for sanctions against Colombia. This is in response to Saturday’s attack, when soldiers from Colombia went into Ecuador to hunt guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who use the frontier region as a sanctuary.

-Colombian President Álvaro Uribe announced that he will ask the International Criminal Court to bring genocide charges against Venezuela’s Hugo Chávez, whom he has accused of sympathizing with the rebel group.

-Colombian officials contend that computer documents recovered in Saturday’s cross-border raid revealed that Ch¿vez had given more than $300 million to the FARC, the Marxist insurgency that has battled the Colombian government for more than 40 years.

-President Bush said Tuesday “I told the president that America fully supports Colombia’s democracy and that we firmly oppose any acts of aggression that could destabilize the region,” Bush said at the White House. “I told him that America will continue to stand with Colombia as it confronts violence and terror and fights drug traffickers.”

Troops moved to the border of Colombia and Venezuela by Chavez, should open the eyes of anyone who hasn’t yet been interested in not only regional security, but American security. In the past few months we have discussed the triumphs in Colombia, by their military and along with U.S. support against the FARC and the drug cartels. The change in Colombia has been fantastic, yet even here stateside our politicians are debating whether or not to continue financial support and some democrats are even lobbying against a free trade agreement with our allies in Bogota’. Mexican leaders have even expressed their desires to me that they would like to emulate the successes in Colombia. BUT….as we make headway in Colombia, tensions have only tightened next door in Venezuela. Chavez has and is supporting FARC and claims U.S. involvement is actually imperialism. Follow the link for more on this story and some comments from Fox Producer Nora Zimmett, who was in Colombia to document the war on drugs two years ago. Keep Reading …