Southern Exposure

Although its military is spread far and wide around the globe, United States officials devote hardly any attention to America’s closest neighbors in Latin America. “I don’t consider it benign neglect anymore,” Frank Gaffney of the Center for Security Policy (CSP) said at a recent Capitol Hill briefing organized by CSP. “I consider it malign neglect.”

In its Second Annual Capitol Hill National Security Briefing on Latin America on Thursday, held on April 22, Dr. Norman Bailey, consulting economist, President of the Institute for Global Economic Growth; Adjunct Professor of Economic Statecraft, the Institute for World Politics recommended putting Venezuela in the list of the states that support terrorism.

Gustavo Coronel, Venezuelan geologist and political scientist; former board member of PDVSA; former Venezuelan congressman said that “the money that comes from oil in Venezuela is approximately 900 billion dollars, but Chavez is sending 35-40% of the money out. Now he is in a situation of surviving.  Oil money is less than before.”

Frustration is high in Venezuela, with one of the highest inflation rates in the world. Coronel believes that this frustration will explode and Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez will lose power by 2012.

Meanwhile, the other panelists pointed out that:

• Iran has opened an embassy in Nicaragua;
• Bolivia is one the countries that has developed a good relationship with Iran; and
• Columbia has increased military spending.

Alma Lama is an intern at the American Journalism Center, a training program run by Accuracy in Media and Accuracy in Academia.