Venezuela...again.

According to the Associated Press, Hugo Chavez has called for his military and citizenry to get ready for combat with Colombia and possibly even the United States. His reasoning is simple enough, the Colombian Government has agreed to lease 7 military bases to the United States. He claims the U.S. will destabilize the region and that the Colombian military has already made an incursion into Venezuelan territory.

I am far from concerned about Hugo Chavez or his country’s military prowess. What DOES bother me is that last September the Russians made an alliance with Chavez allowing the Russian military to perform exercises with long range bombers in Venezuela, even stationing them there if necessary. The Russians claimed it showed their renewed global reach and Chavez hoped it would keep the U.S. in check in his region.

Last September I said that South America was becoming our next hotspot and that the next President would have to deal with it. Well, it has now come up a second time in less than 12 months.

If we get involved in a short range war with Venezuela through our soon to be bases in Colombia.The way this thing plays out could have a catastrophic ripple effect on our hemisphere and our country.

And, if Russia takes VZ's side things could get ugly.

It could conceivably become another Vietnam for us.

It could lead to a renewed cold war with the Russians.

Ultimately it could lead to a limited nuclear exchange followed by an invasion of the U.S. from the south. Caspar Weinberger, Alexander Haig and Henry Kissinger all warned of just such a scenario back in the 1980s. (The mediocre mid 80’s movie “Red Dawn” was based on one theory being put forth.) And while these predictions looked unlikely in the 80’s and somewhat unlikely now…things have a way of changing from bad to worse rather quickly in geopolitics.

And Chavez strikes me as the kind of guy who can change them in a hurry.