MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia demands reciprocity on formal non intervention guarantees

Defence minister Gabriel Silva outlined Colombia’s internal security policy

The same way some countries want non intervention assurances from Colombia, Bogotá is also asking for certainties that its neighbours will not grant bases or refuge to guerrillas or the drugs trade, said Defence minister Gabriel Silva in an interview with the Brazilian media.

“We need an agreement on guarantees and commitments in the framework of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) that these things won’t ever happen again”, said Silva.

“No actions in neighbouring territories, or strategic and command centres for the control of the drugs trade and drugs-funded terrorism in other countries”, added the minister to Estado de Sao Paulo when asked about the attack of Colombian military forces on a Colombian FARC rebels’ base in Ecuadorian border territory back in march 2008.

Silva said neighbouring countries should not be concerned about the US/Colombia agreement which allows for a certain number of US forces to use Colombian military bases since “it is based in sovereignty respect and non interference in internal affairs of other countries”.

He underlined that Colombia can’t send copies of the agreement with the US to other countries “simply because it has not been signed yet. Following its assessment by the State Council, it will only then be signed”.

More over Silva cautioned that handing copies of the treaty to neighbouring countries much will depend on the Unasur agenda.

He recalled that at the last Unasur presidential summit in Argentina it was agreed by all sides to “jointly” consider all treaties and accords, “including those referred to the fight against the drugs’ trade, the non tolerance of foreign and illegal armed groups in other countries, cooperation against arms trade and confidence building”

Unasur can’t concentrate on an only issue, “it must have a symmetrical approach”

Silva said that Colombia has never questioned the military technology transfer agreements between France and Brazil because Colombia is most respectful of every country’s right to define its security strategy and international cooperation.

“The advantage is that Brazil and Colombia are democracies and its voters are who will finally decide about government actions, if correct or incorrect. Colombia has no external defence strategic arms purchase policy for the simple reason that the Colombian people extended a mandate to enforce domestic security”, underlined Silva.

“We don’t threaten countries saying we are going to bomb their capital in five minutes”, added Silva in apparent reference to comments from Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez Frías.

The strong Colombian position was outlined by President Alvaro Uribe during this week’s visit to Brazil. President Lula da Silva announced he was expecting a formal commitment from Colombia as to the agreement on US forces stationed or to be stationed in seven Colombian bases.

“The same way formal guarantees are demanded from us, we also demand formal guarantees from others”, is the official line of Palacio Nariño, reiterated Silva.

However President Lula da Silva diplomatically stated he trusted both President Barack Obama and his Colombian peer Uribe.