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by Ariel Noyola Rodríguez
January 10, 2017
from
RT
Website
translation by
Anoosha
Boralessa
25 January
2017
from
VoltaireNetwork Website
Original Spanish version
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Ariel Noyola Rodríguez, Economist graduated from the
National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
Involved in the Centre for Research on Globalization,
Global Research, based in Canada.
His
reports on World Economy are published in the weekly
magazine Contralínea and his opinion columns in the
international news chain
Russia Today.
The
Journalists Club of Mexico awarded him the National
Journalism Prize in the category of Best Economic and
Financial Analysis for his pieces issued in the Voltaire
Network during 2015. |
Following the
parliamentary impeachment of Dilma Rousseff (Brazil)
and Mauricio Macri's arrival at the Pink House
(Argentina), the United States is desperately trying
to increase its military presence in Latin America,
focusing particular attention on the South Cone.
Peru, a member
state of
the Pacific Alliance, is the most recent
victim of Washington's imperial incursions.
At the end of
2016, one of Peru's regional governments, the
Amazonas, approved the establishment of a new US
military base that is being marketed to the public
as a response centre for natural disasters.
Admiral
Kurt W. Tidd,
Commander of the US Command of
Armed
Forces in South America
US SouthCom
With just a few days to go before leaving the White House,
Barack Obama has decided not to waste the opportunity
to strengthen the deployment of US troops in South America.
Indeed, [three parties],
...have just signed off a
plan to set up a new military base, under the sheepskin of the
Centre for Operations for Regional Emergency (COER) in the Amazonas.
[1]
The funding for this
centre will be just over $USD 1,350,000. With the launch date for
the project being 29 December 2016, it will be completed in
approximately 540 days.
According to information provided by the Peruvian government, the US
military base will have,
-
a heliport covering 625 m2
-
a two storey
building,
-
on the first floor of which will be a 1,000 m2 warehouse
for humanitarian aid
-
on the second floor, the COER will function
together with the operational modes (logistical, communications,
monitoring and analysis etc.)
-
there will also
be a conference room, a press room, dormitories and a 800 m2
parking lot
There can be no doubt: this is intervention wrapped under a blanket
of humanitarian aid...
Quite contrary to the official line, it is not
a strategy driven to strengthen the Peruvian capacity to respond to
natural catastrophes. The United States is sinking its military
claws into the South Cone under the approving eye of Peru's
President, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.
South American sovereignty is
under threat...
The United States no longer needs to launch wars to conquer and
assert its hegemony on Latin American soil; now the region is
brought to heel by far subtler means:
through initiatives of covert
militarization. [2]
In addition to its war
against terrorism, Washington is using the fight against drug
trafficking and its alleged commitment to respecting human rights as
covers for intermeddling in the internal affairs of other countries.
Peru is a vital platform to enable the United States to consolidate
its plan to dominate the whole of South America, an area, that, as
we already know, has immense reserves of natural strategic
resources (gas, oil, metals, minerals etc.)
At least during the
last decade, South American governments have inflicted a mighty blow
to US economic and political gravitation on the continent.
However, since 2009, Peru has not posed any resistance to
Washington's imperial incursions which have converted it into one of
the countries in Latin America with the greatest presence of North
American armed forces on its territory.
Before approving the
installation of this new military base in the Department of the
Amazonas, the US SouthCom had already taken root in the regions of,
-
Lambayeque
-
Trujillo
-
Tumbes
-
Piura
-
San Martín
-
Loreto
It must be stressed that military cooperation between Washington and
Lima is not restricted to setting up military bases; the United
States has followed up by fully integrating itself into the
[Peruvian] security and defense apparatus.
Pursuant to authorization
by Peru's Ministry of Defense, special operation units of,
...received training
from US forces between May and September 2016. [3]
In tandem, the Peruvian forces have led countless joint military
exercises with the United States. Their justification? To strengthen
its defence strategies against 'external' aggression.
One of the most
important operations is the Silent Forces Operation (SIFOREX, by its
English acronym). This operation takes place every two years in the
Mar de Grau and is considered one of the most important
international naval operations.
Peru is clearly aware that South America is sailing through
turbulent waters and is, at the same time, affronted by an
aggressive campaign to harass it. In addition to economic woes,
[4] the region is the victim of a powerful offensive driven
from outside that seeks, through all kinds of means, to consolidate
Washington's presence.
US military incursions in the region are advancing at an accelerated
pace.
This is partly due to several governments turning to the Right
- especially after Mauricio Macri assumed the presidency of
Argentina, and the parliamentary impeachment of Dilma Rousseff in
Brazil - and partly due to the tireless effort to undermine the
influence of countries such as,
Arming Peru right to the teeth, represents a vital pawn for the
United States to succeed, further down the line, in setting up other
military bases in Argentina, at its border with Brazil and Paraguay.
[6]
Undoubtedly, building a
better future for South American countries confronts a serious
danger…
References
[1] "Comando
Sur de los Estados Unidos construirá Centro de Operaciones de
Emergencia Regional en Amazonas", Gobierno Regional de
Amazonas, 28 de diciembre de 2016.
[2] "Obama
failed his coup in Venezuela", by Thierry Meyssan,
Translation Roger Lagassé, Voltaire Network, 24 February
2015.
[3] "Militares
estadounidenses entrenarán a las unidades de Operaciones
Especiales de Perú", Infodefensa, 20 de mayo de 2016.
[4] "¿Qué
debe hacer América Latina frente a la tormenta financiera"?, por Ariel Noyola Rodríguez,
Russia Today (Rusia) , Red
Voltaire , 9 de febrero de 2016.
[5] "Southcom
Commander Outlines Latin America Strategy", Karen Parrish,
US Department of Defense, July 14, 2016.
[6] "Macri
Gives Go-Ahead to US Military Installations in Argentina",
Telesur, May 18, 2016.
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