It looks like Ecuador's kicking the US out and and may offer the Chinese out former base? Can't you just the see the Chinese low cost weapons just flowing into South America. Ecuador does produce around 500,000 barrels a year so maybe a weapons for oil deal will happen. Still feel Chavez is in on this up to his elbows.

Link to story
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtri...hina_12_08.asp

Let them go, they'll get what they deserve.

Well said.
They'll learn why the rest of us don't like to deal with the Chinese.

Bring it.

These ****ing idiots down south haven't learned **** from 400 years of exploitation by outside forces. Does this ignorant twat really think China will treat Ecuador or the other South American nations better than the US has? Until these dumbasses learn to stand on their own feet they will continue to be exploited by outside governments and I don't feel any pity for them.

No. It's a collective thumbing of the nose at the US by Correa, Chavez, Ortega, Morales and lest we forget Castro.

All have socialist (Communist) leanings (read want to be dictator for life) and all are not to well concealed hand puppets of Fidel.

The bunch of them can think of nothing more irritating to the US than to allow a ChiCom base in this hemisphere. Thats the reason, and Correa the least intelligent of the bunch. He's the one inviting the Chi Coms into his country. Hope he develops a taste for Won Ton soup.

I think all the governments in South America are Left Wing but in general on the Chavez team we have:
His own country Venezuela - 5th largest oil reserves
Now Ecuador - oil 500,000 barrels per year
Bolivia - largest natural gas reserves in South America and Chavez is helping

Colombia - still US friendly - might be our best allied. I think down the line Colombia and/or Peru will become more US friendly with special help thrown there way in the form of trade agreements and arms. I think some sort of a play will be made in South American I don't the US government will just throw it away, it's our back door right?

Originally Posted by rock45

I think all the governments in South America are Left Wing but in general on the Chavez team we have:
His own country Venezuela - 5th largest oil reserves
Now Ecuador - oil 500,000 barrels per year
Bolivia - largest natural gas reserves in South America and Chavez is helping

Colombia - still US friendly - might be our best allied. I think down the line Colombia and/or Peru will become more US friendly with special help thrown there way in the form of trade agreements and arms. I think some sort of a play will be made in South American I don't the US government will just throw it away, it's our back door right?

Venezuela may be the 5th largest in oil reserves, but it is all low grade stuff with the U.S being one of the only few with the capabilities to process it. Chavez loves to run his mouth in regards to our country but if we stop pulling oil from them then he will be in a world of hurt, his oil only accounts for 15% of what we bring in.

And as Pale Rider pointed out, Venezuela's oil is in the form of heavy crude oil, which requires oil prices above $80 a gallon to justify its cost to drill, ship and refine.

I agree he needs out refinery's big time and we could pick up the oil we buy from him elsewhere.

I'm thinking about the future a little along the lines of bases for our forces if need be and maybe fast movers. I'm wondering can the US let say Colombia fall so far behind Venezuela and now with the Chinese getting a foot hold in 2009 in Ecuador isn't our turn for a move. One can only assume China will begin to show there products if allowed a foot hold? Besides house hold goods and TVs small arms and aircraft will follow. In two maybe three years China will have at least one or maybe two jets for export and the same for advance jet trainers. It takes four to five years to produce pilots and maintenance personnel that maybe say Colombia might get approval for F-16 at least. This way it give us a forward base that uses our base aircraft for parts and weapons at least and keeps a little foot hold in the region? We could do the same in Chile I guess but there too far away to be useful Colombia or northern Peru would serve our purposes better. I think northern Peru would be more helpful really as far as anti-drug forces go. It would cut the flow of drugs coming north from Bolivia, mess up the trade cutting across Brazil, and make it harder to reach the cartels in Colombia. Ecuador's would basically be closed since the new China/Ecuadorian thing will be happening? I just think we get let it grow too much without making some of our own moves. I don't want us to keep reacting to others lets pick somebody and go forward already. Reacting seems weak to me this is our door step.