MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Washington wants to again train Latinamerican military

United States will again begin training Latinamerican and Caribbean countries military given the growing concern of Washington with the advance of “left wing regimes” in the region points out Friday's editions of USA Today.

The daily recalls that since 2002 this kind of training exercises have been banned since regional governments did not guarantee immunity to US military personnel and Washington feared they could be exposed to international prosecution.

However a special authorization granted by US President George W. Bush has lifted the ban, reports the US newspaper. The extraordinary decision applies to 21 countries all over the world, eleven in Latinamerica (excluding Venezuela) and follows on a presidential memorandum addressed last October 2 to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

"The US administration trusts that this way we can establish links with these countries", and the "left turn tendency in the area can be softened", says USA Today.

The list of countries includes Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. In the Caribbean, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

However Jose Ruiz, spokesperson for the US Army Southern Command said that the ban on provision of weapons remains unchanged.

USA Today finally underlines that suspending military training in many of these countries has meant a loss of influence in the region, which is linked to the fact that "left wing candidates have managed to take office in several Latinamerican countries".