Colombian President Alvaro Uribe arrived in Uruguay
Thursday to explain Colombia’s controversial decision to allow the
United States to use Colombian military bases for counternarcotics
operations.
Uribe arrived in the capital Montevideo where he will meet President Tabare Vazquez.
Colombia’s President earlier traveled to Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Chile and will later travel to Paraguay and Brazil.
The plan to allow the U.S. use seven Colombian army bases was received with criticism in South America. Leftist governments like that of Venezuela and Ecuador rejected the idea, but also moderate governments like that of Brazil and Chile expressed their concern.
UNASUR, the Union of South American Nations, will discuss the Colombian-U.S. plan in Quito Saturday. Colombia refuses to be present in the Ecuadorean capital to explain the agreement and instead started a diplomatic offensive to prevent isolation on the continent.