You know it's nice to have an aircraft carrier when....

Colombia takes more heat from Latin America left

CARACAS (Reuters) - Latin America's leftist leaders heaped more criticism on Colombia, leaving it increasingly isolated on Thursday in a crisis that has threatened political stability in the Andes.

Colombia, the United States' closest ally in South America, set off a major diplomatic crisis on Saturday when its army crossed into Ecuador to kill Colombian Marxist guerrillas just across the border.

OPEC oil exporters and leftist allies Venezuela and Ecuador reacted by cutting off diplomatic relations, moving troops to their borders with Colombia and lambasting Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who receives billions of dollars in military aid from the United States.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez was in Caracas on Thursday to meet with anti-U.S. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. A day earlier, Chavez met with Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, in Caracas. Correa later traveled to Panama to continue his anti-Colombia lobbying tour.

Chavez threatened on Wednesday possible government takeovers of Colombian companies in Venezuela, and said Venezuela could sell off investments it has made in Colombia.

U.S. President George W. Bush has supported Colombia and the White House has tried to shift the focus onto four decades of killings and kidnappings by the rebel Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

But even centrist and conservative leaders in Peru and Mexico joined the criticism of Colombia.

The Organization of American States, the Western Hemisphere's top diplomatic body, said Colombia had violated international law, but stopped short of the stronger condemnation Correa demanded.

Colombia says it nabbed guerrilla computers in Ecuador containing proof that Ecuador and Venezuela were aiding the FARC, Latin America's oldest insurgency group.

Condi, this is the moment when the US State Dept loudly shifts the burden on Ecuador and her allies for thinking that hiding, aiding, and giving shelter to FARC could go unnoticed, not thought of and not responded to. Where are you? That's our son of a bitch (freely elected) who is taking the heat. The OAS is liable to become the UN. A institute of radical chic, anti America's PEOPLE, useless functionaries, oh and racist as well.

We have China getting bases (anyone ask why?), Venezuela an ally of Iran, Ecuador sliding away, and a rotting Cuba gaining allies?

Why do we have a State Dep't? Why do we have a CIA? They too busy?

George, just send a carrier with escorts. Nothing need be said if the CIA and State can't be managed by you.