Columbia v. Venezuala: UNASUR and War of Words

Update: In Washington recently, the Columbian abassador said that roughly 1,500 rebels were found hiding out in Venezuel, and he showed fellow diplomats numerous aerial photographs of what he identified as rebel camps inside Venezuela. In response, Chavez suggested the photographs could be bogus.

Now Chavez is sending his troops to the Venezuelan border with Coumbia. Is war imminent? Probably not.

Threats of conflict are not uncommon from Chavez, especially regardng columbia. Venezuela and Columbia share a history of threatening gestures, rants, and accusations. Now, with the out-goingColombian President Alvaro Uribe about to step down, Venezualan President Hugo Chavez announced he has moved troops to the border, "in case [Uribe] issues an invasion order before he leaves office August." At least one Pro-Chavez source claims that as of last week, July 24, 2010, the United States and Columbia were planning to attack Venezuela. According to Real Law Radio guest and U.S. State Department spokesman, P.J. Crowley, the U.S. has "no intention of engaging a military action against Venezuela."

This is not to suggest that the threats of Chavez are being ignored. United Press International is reporting that ministers from UNASUR (Union of South American Nations) began talks late this week amid Venezuela's claims that a war was imminent.

UNASUR is a political group of South American states working to protect diplomacy and foreign relations between the sovereign nations that comprise South America. UNASUR was founded after a May 2008 treaty and brings together Argentina, Bolivia. Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela.

The 2008 treaty essentially spells out a diplomatic agreement providing guidelines and rules designed to promote political dialogue and resolve disputes between member states. Article 21 of the UNASUR Constitutive Treaty addresses dispute resolution. The UNASUR treaty, modeled after the Europea Union, has been ratified only by the parliaments of half of its twelve member states. And it has its proponents and detractors. The critics say there is no need for a new organism with little institutional capacity, and which also repeats the consensual basis organization of the Organization of American States (OAS). Those in favor of UNASUR support it as a body for building a true Latin American identity, which could work to promote political dialog in the region.

Newly created, UNASUR has the present dispute before it. And unfortunately, UNASUR member nations could not reach an agreement on how to solve the rift between Venezuela and Colombia. Perhaps it never could address this problem.

So, how does Venezuela benefit by a war of words - if not weapons - with Columbia? Some commentators say Chavez aides hoped the tension with Colombia would help galvanize the Venezuelan people behind the ruling United Socialist Party before the election. Apparently, Chavez faces a real political challenge from numerous candidates opposed to his government.

If the past is any indicator of future events, it would appear that Chavez is making a political move to protect his future - not to actually fight with Columbia.

Stay tuned to Real Law Radio for more insight and analysis about this (and other) law-related stories.