Venezuela: Out with Colombia, in with Argentina

Ten thousands cars, 80,000 tons of beef, 100,000 tons of corn, 18,000 tons of milk, 9,000 tons of beans, 18 million eggs, two million pairs of shoes: Argentina has agreed to 1.1 billion dollars worth of sales to Venezuela, which has decided to stop importing goods from Colombia and get its supplies from other sources. Trade between Argentina and Venezuela amounted to 1.4 billion dollars in 2008, compared to 7.3 billion dollars in trade between Venezuela and Colombia, with a balance of six to one in favour of Bogotá. Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez once again put his country's relations with Colombia "in the freezer," ordering a halt to fuel exports to the neighbouring country and to purchases from Colombian companies, which last year sold six billion dollars worth of goods, mainly cars, foodstuffs, cosmetics, textiles, footwear, pharmaceuticals and veterinary medicines, to Venezuela. Chávez accused his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Uribe of creating a new threat to Venezuela by allowing the United States to use at least seven military bases in Colombia, with the stated purpose of shoring up joint efforts against drugs and the guerrillas.