Venezuela "Decertified" as Ally in Drug War

(Washington) I suspect that decertification of Venezuela as an ally in the drug war will only be a step among many on the stairway to open hostilities.

From the Herald.com:

President Bush has taken Venezuela off his list of allies in the war on drugs, saying that the government of President Hugo Chavez spurned anti-drug cooperation with U.S. officials and fired its effective law enforcement officers.

But the White House waived the cuts in U.S. foreign aid usually attached to the ''decertification'' so that it can continue to support Venezuelan pro-democracy groups that oppose the leftist Chavez.

Bush's decision is expected to sharply exacerbate already bitter U.S.-Venezuelan relations roiled by Washington's charges that Chavez is promoting subversion around the hemisphere and the Venezuelan president's allegations that Bush is out to kill him.

In addition to accusing the DEA of espionage and firing all the effective law enforcement personnel in the government, Chavez has nixed a bilateral data-sharing agreement with the U.S.

On top of everything, there are strong indications that high government and military officials are actively involved with drug trafficking. The U.S. government recently revoked the visas of two Venezuelan generals, including the head of a counter-drug unit, and a third officer who have been linked to allegations of drug trafficking.

It's easy to predict that U.S.-Venezuelan relations will continue to sour.