The Patron Saint Of Brittle Sensitivities
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Foreign Affairs | Hugo Chavez | Hurt Feelings Influencing Policy Decisions — Comments (2) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Just in case you haven't had enough of Hugo Chavez:
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez summoned home his ambassador to Colombia, escalating a conflict that threatens to damage trade and diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries.
Ambassador Pavel Rondon was recalled for consultations about ``recent events,'' according to a statement on the foreign ministry's Web site. The statement gave no additional details.
Chavez turned on President Alvaro Uribe Nov. 25, calling him a ``liar'' after the Colombian leader rescinded permission for Chavez to negotiate with Colombia's biggest guerrilla group in a bid to free 45 hostages. Since then, the two leaders have traded insults, with Uribe accusing Chavez of attempting to spread an ``expansionist'' socialist agenda across the continent.
``The attacks are very personal and will be very hard to come back from,'' said Adam Isacson, director of the Colombia program at the Center for International Policy in Washington. ``This will require international intervention to get them to sit down and work this out.''
Colombian stocks have dropped since the presidents traded barbs, with shares of exporters hardest hit. Venezuela and Colombia are both each other's second-biggest trading partners.
Textile exporter Cia. Colombiana de Tejidos SA, based in Medellin, headed for its steepest two-day fall in 18 months amid concern over its business in Venezuela. Colombia's benchmark stock index fell for a second day, declining 0.6 percent to 11,211.77 at 1:11 p.m. New York time.
``An end to relations will have a severe impact on both economies, most probably worse for Colombia,'' Rupert Stebbings, head of international sales in Bogota at Interbolsa SA, Colombia's biggest brokerage, wrote in a note to investors.
And all because Chavez had his precious pride insulted. Is this the new definition of "statesmanship"?
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The Patron Saint Of Brittle Sensitivities 2 Comments (0 topical, 2 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
What a great moment this would be for Congress to pass the Colombia free trade deal and so express support for an economic policy not based on personal pique.
President Uribe has been a definite friend of the U.S. and is a nice counter-weight to Chavez. I hope that the Administration and the State Department are working on plans to aid Columbia should there be serious economic repercussions. We should be ready to send a clear message that we will stand by democratic governments in Latin America against the strong-arm tactics of Chavez and his puppets.