Five Colombian Bases to Host U.S. Military, Magazine Says

From Latin American Herald:

BOGOTA – A soon-to-be-signed, 10-year bilateral cooperation pact will give U.S. military personnel the right to operate from five bases in Colombia, the newsweekly Cambio reported Thursday.

The United States is seeking basing rights in Colombia because Ecuador declined to renew an accord allowing Washington to coordinate drug-interdiction efforts from the Manta airbase on the Andean nation’s Pacific coast.

Colombia’s three main airbases: Palanquero, in the central part of the country; Alberto Pouwels, in the north, and Apiay, in the south, will play host to U.S. units, according to the Bogota-based magazine.

The U.S. military will also have access to the Colombian naval bases at Cartagena, on the Caribbean, and Malaga, located on the Pacific.

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My Comment: This is a major escalation of U.S. military involvement in Latin America. With political instability rising throughout the region, and with cartel drug wars spiraling out of control, expect more cooperation and involvement in the future.