While Venezuela and Colombia have taken an important step in reestablishing diplomatic ties, a sustained commitment by both countries will be necessary to achieve a new era of bilateral cooperation, writes AS/COA's Jason Marczak in El Diario/La Prensa. (en español)
Caracas maintains territorial, maritime, and border disputes with several Caribbean countries, leading to uneasy ties between Venezuela and many of its neighbors.
Bogota presented evidence at an OAS session that Venezuela knowingly provides sanctuary and support to FARC and ELN rebels within its territory. Caracas responded by breaking diplomatic ties with its neighbor.
President Bashar al-Assad traveled to Latin America to encourage investment at home while boosting Syria’s profile abroad.
A new Chinese financing plan provides $20 billion in loans for Venezuela. The series of accords signed includes plans for a joint venture for exploration in the oil-rich Orinoco belt and secures Venezuelan oil for energy-hungry China.
"As sovereign nations, Russia and Venezuela have every right to engage in bilateral diplomatic and commercial exchange," writes COA Vice President Eric Farnsworth, discussing Caracas' recent billion-dollar arms deal with Moscow. "But we should not be unaware or naïve; U.S. interests are being affected to the extent our regional friends and allies are negatively impacted."
After his first trip to Caracas, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin revealed that Venezuela plans to spend over $5 billion on Russian arms. The news triggered U.S. concerns about an Andean weapons buildup and arms transfers.