South American leaders assail U.S. on bases

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent public statements that the impact of the proposed use of Colombian military bases by U.S. armed forces will be limited has done little to assuage tensions in the Latin America about the deal. Yesterday, in a meeting of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Latin America presidents from across the continent assailed Colombian President Álvaro Uribé and the U.S. for the deal being negotiated. Lead stories in today’s Washington Post, BBC News, Time, and the Huffington Post are among the dozens of international media stories on the situation this weekend. While the State Department is insistent that this issue is being overblown by the left-leaning Latin American leaders and international NGOs alike, even the political "moderates" in their midst — what Time described of the likes of "centrist, U.S.-friendly Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva" — are pushing President Barack Obama to meet with the UNASUR leaders as soon as possible about this issue. Until the U.S. changes its mind, FOR and our allies will continue to mobilize opposition to the bases.