Venezuela, Nicaragua Propose Joint Military Force for Latin America

[Venezuelanalysis.com's Chris Carlson reports on last week's proposal by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega that Latin American countries form a joint military force to defend against outside intervention.]

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega during the inauguration of a corn processing plant on Sunday. Credit: LA PRENSA

Venezuela, Nicaragua Propose Joint Military Force for Latin America

                                     

January 28th 2008, by Chris Carlson - Venezuelanalysis.com

January 28, 2008 (venezuelanalysis.com) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega proposed the formation of a joint military force among Latin American countries to defend against outside intervention yesterday. On his Sunday TV and radio show Aló Presidente, Chavez also promised to dramatically increase food production in Venezuela during the inauguration of a "socialist" corn-processing plant.

The Nicaraguan president, in Caracas for the ALBA (Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas) Summit on Saturday, joined President Chavez on his TV and radio show on Sunday. The two leaders discussed the possibility of creating a joint military force among the member-nations of the ALBA block.

"The countries of Nicaragua, Bolivia, Cuba, Venezuela, and now Dominica should work to form a joint defense strategy and start joining our armed forces, air forces, armies, navies, National Guards, and intelligence forces," said Chavez. "Because the enemy is the same, the empire."

Chavez called on the defense ministers of each ALBA member-nation to begin preparation for an ALBA Defense Council "to unite our military forces and have the nations of ALBA united."

"If [the United States] messes with one of us, they are messing with all of us, because we will respond as one," he said.

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