VHeadline News Editor Patrick J. O'Donoghue reports: On Venezuelan state-owned TV (and in VHeadline, yesterday) US-Venezuelan lawyer and Venezuelan government adviser on US affairs, Eva Golinger has presented the ins and outs of the United States Air Force (USAF) document on Air Mobility Command (AMC) planning, highlighting use of the Palanquero base in northern Colombia near the Venezuelan border.

Although the document was published in May by several NGOs such as the Fellowship for Reconciliation (FOR), it is only now being made accessible to the Venezuelan public via Golinger who has already highlighted US antics as set out in a US government white paper quoted by President Chavez at an international conference.

Although much of the attention in the media recently has been focused on deteriorating relations between Venezuela and Colombia and accusations that the latter is engaged on spying and destabilizing activities in border areas, the release of the document serves to heighten suspicions of joint psychological operations between US and Colombian intelligence services.

Golinger stated that the US air force document clearly indicates that the main use of the Palanquero military base by US forces is to seek as the document itself states "an array of access arrangements for contingency operations, logistics, and training in Central/South America" and that the war on drugs has been moved from top to secondary priority. The base will also serve as a listening post on Venezuelan government intentions in border areas and as a launching pad for further harnessed psychological operations and incursions into Venezuela itself.

Analysts suggest that the campaign has already started with Venezuelan opposition media personalities questioning the presence of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) units operating inside Venezuela with the connivance of President Chavez. The propaganda campaign has failed to hit its mark because many people are convinced that all kinds of groups are operating in border areas, not just FARC or ELN units.

The government has been able to convince people that the main obstacle to peace in the region are right-wing paramilitaries whose history of sowing terror wherever they appear has been well documented.

• However, the government has not been successful in its spin to connect paramilitaries with domestic mafias running narcotics and organized crime.

Back in May, FOR co-director for Latin America, John Lindsay-Poland condemned the use of the Palanquero air base because he said it would feed a "failed drug policy, support and abusive (Colombian) army, and reinforce a tragic history of US military intervention in the region."

From watching some of the Venezuelan TV talk shows, one easily reaches the conclusion that the opposition welcomes the US bases with glee and without reservations ... despite repeated warnings from independent observers about the history of US presence in South American countries.

• Some opposition analysts brush aside the US-Colombian military agreement putting military agreements between France and Brazil and Venezuela and Russia on the same level.

The overriding impression one receives is that, for the opposition, the objective remains the same as in 2002 ... namely getting rid of President Chavez first and sorting out the mess afterwards.

Patrick J. O'Donoghue
news.editor@vheadline.com