[Aaron]

PBS

FRONTLINE/World reports how the oil has fueled warfare among leftist rebels, rightwing paramilitaries and the Colombian army -- with civilians caught in the middle.

RealPlayer Required

[ARK]

BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's Gibraltar oil field contains only about 15 million barrels of oil, far less than the originally estimated 200 million barrels, the government said on Monday.

The news came as a blow to Colombia's oil sector. Without a major find, analysts expect the country to lose its self-sufficiency and become a net petroleum importer in the coming years.

State oil firm Ecopetrol originally estimated that the Gibraltar site could contain up to 200 million barrels. But Colombian Energy Minister Luis Ernesto Mejia told a news conference on Monday that the site contains only about 15 million barrels of high-quality oil and at least 630 million cubic feet of gas, based on recent explorations.

[The_Virginian]

Sounds like they exagerated things to get investors to develop a few years worth of energy "idepencia"

How much "low qaulity oil" is recoverable? Wopuld it even p[ay to build/refurbish arefinery to proccess that small amount of oil?

Sounds like Colombia ought to stick to Pharmacopia.

[EnemyCombatant]

I have been wondering how come we have never invaded Columbia?

Based on our doctrine for invading Iraq. We invaded Iraq because they had WMDs. Well so does Columbia, it's called cocaine. Isn't cocaine a much bigger threat to the U.S than Saddam's WMD stockpile which wasn't even inter-continental?

How come there is no call to invade Columbia? We know the answer. But how come the gullible, Christian conservatives, don't bring this out?

Do people who support the war just mind fuck themselves? Have they figured out that only Halliburton and the oil companies are getting rich while everyone else is taking it up the butt? Literally for some poor fools in Iraq. They must have, rather they admit it or not. If they were serious about fear of WMDs, we would be in Columbia already. If we were serious about the fear of terrorism, we would have closed our border. We would have protected our ports. Come on.

People who are for this war aren't afraid of terrorists or don't give a hoot about Iraqis. People who put on the support the troops bumper stickers don't support the troops. Otherwise they would do something about DU and vetrans benefits. We are more full of shit than a Christmas turkey.

[Jack]

Why invade Columbia (and Peru and Bolivia) when we already have advisers on the ground and their government troops working with us?

In essence, those countries are what we want Iraq to become.

[Egon_1]

You should read "Confesions of an Economic Hitman".

It is a very interesting look at (from one man's perspective) how corporations have been and are now "invading" and controlling many developing nations.

It is a very mind expanding book.

[EnemyCombatant]

Been there, done that.

I am highlighting the fact that the sheeple should be calling for an invasion of columbia based on on our pretense for invading iraq.

[DomusAlbion]

We are more full of shit than a Christmas turkey.

Well, some of "we" are full of it.

[Cid_Yama]

President Hugo Chavez on Saturday charged that the United States and Colombia were plotting an incident that would spark a war with Venezuela. "I alert the world of the following," said Chavez, speaking at the Bolivarian Alternative Summit of the Americas (ALBA). "The US empire is creating conditions to generate an armed conflict between Colombia and Venezuela."

"I accuse the government of Colombia of devising a conspiracy, acting as a pawn of the U.S. empire, of devising a military provocation against Venezuela," Chavez said. "A military aggression is being prepared," Chavez added.

But he warned Colombia not to attempt a "provocation" and said Venezuela <i>would cut off all oil exports in the event of a military strike from the neighboring country. "In that scenario, write it down: the price of oil would reach $300, because there wouldn't be oil for anyone," Chavez said. "The invaders would have to step over our dead bodies."</i>
link

Interesting. The US has 3 carriers in WestLant(West Atlantic, includes waters off of Venezuela), one in Norfolk, 2 off the coast of Southern California, one in San Diego, and only one in the Persian Gulf. link

[Valdemar]

Chavez sniping at the US? Why, it must be a weekday. Or a weekend.

[americandream]

Chavez sniping at the US? Why, it must be a weekday. Or a weekend.

Read Cid Yama's post. Contemplate geo-political dynamics and google world power politics, Chile, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq to name a few and colour revolutions. Then use that area of your anatomy called the brain.

[Cid_Yama]

In December, the Bank of the South was formed, based in Caracas, providing an alternative for Latin American nations to the World Bank and IMF. Venezuela even went so far as paying off the balances other Latin American nations had with the World Bank and IMF, freeing them from their obligations. Today, they formed ALBA, Central America and the Caribbean's version of Bank of the South, while calling for all Latin American nations to withdraw their billions in reserves from US banks. I imagine the Bush administration is seeing this as an <b>economic provocation to war</b>. Truely, what would happen if those withdrawals were made at this particular time, all at once?

<b>Venezuela, allies start new bank</b>

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and three of his closest allies are teaming up to create a regional development bank intended to strengthen their alliance and promote independence from U.S.-backed lenders like the World Bank.

The bank is to be launched Saturday as Chavez hosts a summit with leaders from Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba — members of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, or ALBA.

The ALBA Bank will be started with $1 billion to $1.5 billion of capital, Venezuelan Finance Minister Rafael Isea said Friday, according to the state-run Bolivarian News Agency.

Venezuela, with its plentiful oil earnings, is expected to be the leading financier. The funds will go toward social programs and other joint efforts, from farming projects to oil ventures.

Chavez and the leaders of six other South American countries last month launched a similar venture, the Bank of the South, which is projected to have as much as $7 billion in startup capital and offer loans with fewer strings attached than those given by the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund.

link

<b>Chavez urges withdrawals from U.S. banks</b>
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged his Latin American allies on Saturday to withdraw billions of dollars in international reserves from U.S. banks, warning of a looming U.S. economic crisis.

Chavez made the suggestion as he hosted a summit aimed at boosting Latin American integration and rolling back U.S. influence.

Chavez noted that U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Colombia in recent days, saying "that has to do with this summit." "The empire doesn't accept alternatives," Chavez told the gathering, attended by the presidents of Bolivia and Nicaragua and Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage.

Chavez warned that U.S. "imperialism is entering into a crisis that can affect all of us" and said Latin America "will save itself alone." To help pool resources within the region, Chavez and other leaders were setting up a new development bank at the summit of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, or ALBA.

The left-leaning regional trade alliance first proposed by Chavez is intended to offer an alternative, socialist path to integration while snubbing U.S.-backed free-trade deals. On Saturday, Chavez welcomed the Caribbean island of Dominica into ALBA, joining Nicaragua, Bolivia and Cuba. Attending as observers were the prime ministers of Antigua and Barbuda and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, along with officials from Ecuador, Honduras, Haiti and St. Kitts and Nevis.
link

[Fishman]

Wow, you mean we're not imminently going to attack Iran this week? Just our neighbor to the south? Though I don't think many South American countries love the US, I think most are wise enough to see Chavez as trying to extend HIS power to their countries. Why change one oppressor for another?

[Cid_Yama]

In Latin America, there is real and deadly oppression being experienced daily as the result of Big Agriculture and Big Oil based in the US. They know who the oppressors are and who's trying to get rid of them. Trust me. In Paraguay, the names Cargill, ADM, Monsanto and Dupont are household words.

[Armageddon]

Russia and China have drawn a circle around Iran and told the US they better not, so the US has their eyes on Venezuela now.

[Cid_Yama]

Actually, China and Russia have developed strong economic ties with Venezuela, which is why, I think, the US is trying to backdoor into a war through Columbia.

The US recently made deals for bases in Suriname. Guyana is between Suriname and the eastern border of Venezuela but Britain probably did not want to include a Commonwealth nation in the festivities.

[Windmills]

It seems as if we're having trouble funding and supplying the war in Iraq. There's no surplus of troops. And it's not as if we aren't running a massive budget deficit already. Perhaps we'll enlist some foreigners to fight where can't afford to, kinda like the successful Bay of Pigs invasion. I hope the war-mongers are relieved of their offices before they bankrupt this country and destroy the oil-production in yet another country.

[Armageddon]

It seems as if we're having trouble funding and supplying the war in Iraq. There's no surplus of troops. And it's not as if we aren't running a massive budget deficit already. Perhaps we'll enlist some foreigners to fight where can't afford to, kinda like the successful Bay of Pigs invasion. I hope the war-mongers are relieved of their offices before they bankrupt this country and destroy the oil-production in yet another country.

It doesn't matter who is in office. The NWO put who they want in office. Either Hillary or Mcain is my guess on the next President they want.

[Cid_Yama]

<i>the next President they want</i>

John Edward was at Bilderberg this year. That is disturbing. We have already witnessed their hatred of the Clintons. I think I'll go with Hillary. (Not that I actually believe we'll see elections come November. The world will probably be in crisis and the US under marshal law by then.)

[vampyregirl]

Venezuelan production dropped by a million BPD during the oil workers strike of 2004 and Chavez socialist policies applied to the oil fields have failed to bring it back up to anywhere near pre 2004 levels. And Venezuela is a cash strapped nation despite the oil riches. Socialists like to cut there own throats.
That being said I think it would be wrong for the US to create a war with Venezuela.