U.S.-Colombian Military Pact on the Horizon

The United States and Colombia may ink a controversial military pact by the end of the week. After  meeting with his counterpart at the Pentagon, Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva suggested Tuesday that the bilateral agreement, which allows U.S. troops access to Colombian military bases, could be slotted for signing on Friday. “The agreement has no geopolitical or strategic connotation other than being more effective in the fight against drug trafficking,” Silva told journalists. Still, several South American countries have expressed concern about the plan. Moreover, the possibility of the pact’s approval comes at a time of renewed strains in relations between Colombia and Venezuela. The latest tensions stem from Caracas’ accusations about Colombian intelligence operating on its soil.

The U.S.-Colombian steps toward a new military deal picked up speed when the Manta base in Ecuador closed this summer. But Washington and Bogota maintain that their pact does not involve creation of a U.S. base on Colombian soil or an increase in U.S. troops. Instead, the bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) permits U.S. military access to seven Colombian bases: three Colombian air force bases at Palanquero, Apiay, and Malambo; two naval bases; and two army installations. A U.S. State Department fact sheet reports that the number of U.S. troops—up to 800 military personnel and 600 contractors—was folded into a 2004 agreement and “that cap will be faithfully respected.” The Palanquero air base stands to benefit in the process; U.S. Congress appropriated $46 million for safety upgrades to the facilities.

Minister Silva said that 70 percent of Colombians support the deal. Still, Colombian media reports say the deal has been held up by debate in the country’s State Council. Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez said Monday that the pact requires no approval from his country’s congress and that President Álvaro Uribe could advance the process. Uribe must now determine whether to seek congressional support, according to El Tiempo. Critics say the pact does not go far enough to limit U.S. authority. An article in Cambio magazine reports that one point of contention is that U.S. military personnel will be covered by diplomatic immunity.

The DCA negotiations take place against a backdrop of South American concern over the deal. The Union of South American Nations convened to debate official responses and raise warning bells. The October 17 declaration signed by members of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas (ALBA) after their summit in Bolivia criticized the proposed U.S. troop presence as well. ALBA’s co-founder, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, has been among the most vocal opponents, warning that the plan signals that the “winds of war are beginning to blow.”

Colombian-Venezuelan relations took another bad turn this weekend. Chávez called the Colombian defense minister “mentally retarded” in response to Silva’s accusation that Venezuela allows drug trafficking flights to leave from its territory. On top of that, the corpses of 10 Colombians were found just across the border in Venezuelan territory over the weekend. They are thought to be the bodies of an amateur soccer team kidnapped October 11. In what Venezuelan officials say is an unrelated incident, Chávez announced the arrest of two Colombian spies this week and charged Washington with attempting to destabilize his government.

Learn more:

• AS/COA analysis on UNASUR's debate over the pact.
• U.S. State Department fact sheet on the U.S.-Colombia Defense Cooperation Agreement.
• Briefing on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s August meeting with Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez regarding the DCA.
• Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva’s remarks regarding his visit to Washington and U.S.-Colombian military cooperation.