by Kate Sedgwick

Created on: July 11, 2008

Venezuela and Ecuador have struggled through hundreds of years of political and economic unrest. Leaders have come and gone, each bringing their own ideas and changes to their countries.

Given their rates of oil production and status as major exporters, it must be questioned why the two countries continue to suffer from substandard living conditions and high unemployment. In the mid 1980s and 2002, oil production ground to a halt as a result of protests, calls for the resignation of President Chavez in Venezuela and for oil revenues to be spent on infrastructure in Ecuador.

The constant volatility and struggle for power in South America opened the door for the US to form an alliance with Columbia. President Uribe of Columbia has long announced his intention of stamping out terrorism at any cost and the US offered financial support in Columbia's efforts against terrorist groups' FARC and ENL in return for too significant an input into Columbia's politics. This scheme known as Plan Columbia' has provided the US with a legitimate way to monitor activity in Venezuela and Ecuador, whether it be in respect of drug trafficking since Venezuela exiled the Drug Enforcement Agency in August 2005, or to keep an ever watchful eye on political activity in the neighbouring South American countries, as well as their lucrative oil supplies.

Venezuela is rallying its allies against Washington's influence, having persuaded Brazil, Chile and Uruaguay to its left-wing sympathetic views. Such leftist attitudes have angered Uribe, who remains staunchly Communist and aims to annihilate the hard core of Marxist guerrillas pushing forwards into Columbia. However, in spite of this support, FARC's attempts at usurping power in Columbia have not been successful, experiencing difficulties making an impact on the actions of the government and Uribe would do well to acknowledge that he continues to hold power at present.

Venezuela and Ecuador's unison was recently strengthened as a result of Columbia's uninvited foray into Ecuador in hot pursuit of a number of FARC leaders. Ecuador's President Correa took preventative action and was supported by Chavez issuing a statement that crossing Venezuela's borders in a similar manner would not be tolerated.

Links between Chavez and FARC are suspected, following the inspection of laptops recovered during Columbia's recent raid in Ecuador. These hold correspondence between FARC members discussing Chavez's alleged support (including accusations that he donated

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