Venezuela’s Big Nose

As if Colombian President Andres Pastrana doesn’t have enough problems with guerrillas, narco-traffickers and urban banditry, he now has to contend with the interventionism of a nosy neighbor, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

Last week Chavez said he wanted to meet with Colombian guerrillas to discuss security issues and told reporters he would not need the permission of his Colombian counterpart. A few days later Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jose Vicente Rangel said his president would deal directly with the Colombian rebels because “they are the ones who have the power.” Think of it as a visiting governor asking for an audience with the New York mob.

This latest provocation follows Chavez’s declaration of neutrality in the Colombian conflict, a statement that was widely interpreted as boosting the legitimacy of the guerrillas by awarding them parity with the government.

Why does Chavez behave in such a provocative way? What’s in it for him? Nobody knows for sure. Chavez has already proposed constitutional changes that would extend his term in office from the current five-year limit to 10 or 14 years. Does his protagonist role in the Colombian conflict mean he has greater regional aspirations for Venezuela? It’s hardly out of the question. Chavez is a classic caudillo, the strong man on a horse, and he’s sticking his nose into another country’s business.

By seeming to undermine Pastrana in Colombia, Chavez risks getting burned by the flames of violent guerrillas, paramilitary groups and drug cartels. His country is in economic despair; its main export, oil, faces a volatile world market. There is nothing Chavez can gain from Colombia but trouble, and he would be a fool to keep playing this game.