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US, Colombia sign pact to expand US use of bases
In a private, low-key ceremony, the U.S. ambassador and three Colombian ministers on Friday signed a pact to expand Washington's military's presence, a deal that Venezuela's Hugo Chavez has called a threat to the region's security.
U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield signed along with Colombia's foreign, justice and defense ministers at the Foreign Ministry in Bogota, said U.S. Embassy spokeswoman Ana Duque.
Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez said that the pact restricts U.S. military operations to Colombian territory–alluding to fears expressed by leftist leaders in the region that the deal would make Colombia a base for asserting U.S. power in South America.
Although details were not immediately released, a government communique said the pact "respects the principles of equal sovereignty, territorial integrity and nonintervention in the internal affairs of other states."
Officials have said it would increase U.S. access to seven Colombian bases for 10 years without boosting the number of service personnel and contractors beyond the cap of 1,400 specified by U.S. law.