Reunión Gobernador Richardson Presidente Chávez
by Radioaporrea

Hugs For Hugo

Investor's Business Daily

Diplomacy: Bill Richardson met Hugo Chavez Sunday ostensibly to help U.S. hostages held in Colombia by FARC terrorists. But Colombia doesn't want Chavez involved, so it's worth asking what Richardson's up to.

By his engagement in private diplomatic initiatives, the governor of New Mexico seems to be running for secretary of state in the Cabinet of the candidate he has endorsed, Barack Obama. Nothing wrong with that, but let's be upfront: Richardson's aim doesn't seem entirely pure.

Winning the release of U.S. hostages held for five years in Colombia's jungle would demonstrate his diplomatic chops. But because Richardson insists on meeting with Venezuelan dictator Chavez, it also might not be in America's or Colombia's interests.

Chavez's aims are far worse than Richardson's ambition. Credible evidence from the captured computer of FARC chieftain Raul Reyes — who was blown away in a March 1 military raid — shows that Chavez is so close to the drug terrorists that he could be their godfather. He pledged $300 million in financing and apparently already doled out $50 million. His master plan to overthrow the democratic government of Colombia using FARC agents is obvious.

Small wonder, then, that Colombia President Alvaro Uribe declared over the weekend that Chavez had no place in the mediation of hostage releases. But Richardson insisted on meeting him anyway, and then publicly declared that Chavez "can have a role."

Such disrespect for Colombia raises questions about the governor's judgment and, worse still, what he might have offered Chavez and FARC in behalf of a future U.S. administration.

It's not that Chavez can't win the release of the hostages. Despite his denials, he's likely in touch with, among others, FARC's Ivan Marquez, who reportedly lives in Venezuela.

Chavez is also in a position to shut down FARC by destroying its bases in Venezuela and ending its drug-trade flyovers. So his leverage over the terrorists is huge. Only a naif, however, would imagine Chavez gives such things away to ambitious Americans for free.

Most likely, Chavez will exact policy changes from Richardson that American voters won't know about until Obama gets elected.

What is Richardson offering in exchange for U.S. hostages?

To cut off $550 million in annual U.S. military aid to Colombia, or switch it to nongovernment organizations that pose no military threat to FARC if Richardson becomes secretary of state? To ensure Colombia's free trade pact remains on ice throughout an Obama presidency, as Chavez and FARC seek? To remove FARC from the U.S. list of international terrorist organizations so that it can openly raise funds? To press Colombia to treat these vicious terrorists as political dissidents and force it to offer concessions as a condition of aid? These aren't idle questions. Based on Reyes' own correspondence, contact with "gringos" linked to Obama brought FARC some impressive offerings in the name of releasing U.S. hostages. On Feb. 28, Reyes wrote: "The gringos called for a meeting with the minister to ask him to tell us they are interested in talking about several topics. They claim their new president in their country will be Obama and that these people are interested in their fellow citizens. Obama will support neither Plan Colombia nor the signature of the Free Trade Agreement." Richardson's interest in Chavez provides a perfect back-door deal for this to happen. The problem, however, is whether this is good either for the U.S. or for Colombia, an ally that could lose a war and its democracy in such an exchange.