Colombia’s military is not prepared for a possible attack by neighboring country Venezuela, a classified government report leaked to newscast CM& says.
According to the report, Colombia does not have the military capacity to defend itself if its neighbor decides to attack.
The two countries’ relationship is under a lot of pressure following a U.S.-Colombian deal that allows the American armed forces to use Colombian military bases and airports to fight drug trafficking. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called the plan a threat to Venzuelan sovereignty and ordered his countrymen to prepare for war, while increasing the number of troops near the Colombian border.
If Chavez decides to attack, Colombia “unfortunately” does not have the anti-tank capacity, especially in the flat and relatively accessible north of the country to deter a ground attack.
According to the report, Venezuela has concentrated its tank capacity in the northern part of the border region, where, in the case of an attack, a Venezuelan offensive would take place.
Colombia’s Defense Ministry admits its ports on both the Caribbean and Pacific coasts are “highly vulnerable.”
“The Navy does not have air defense installations in these … ports,” the report says.
Following Chavez’s war talk, Colombia deployed some 69,000 troops near the Venezuelan border, the report stresses.
