Colombia, US sign military agreement

Colombia and the United States have signed an agreement to expand the U.S. military presence at bases in Colombia. The agreement has prompted objections from neighboring countries.xxx has more.

The agreement was signed Friday by Colombia's Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez and U.S. ambassador in Bogota, William Brownfield.

Bermudez says the military pact will assist the two countries in the fight against drug trafficking and terrorism. Bermudez also addresses the concerns of neighboring countries, which have been opposed to the agreement with the US.

Jaime Bermudez, Colombia's Foreign Minister, said, "We want to tell the international community that what Colombia wants is to rid itself of drug trafficking and terrorism and to be able to count on more efficient units in this fight. If Colombia benefits from this, all Colombians will benefit, as will all the countries in the region."

Bermudez says the full content of the agreement will be disclosed next week.

Officials have revealed that the agreement would increase US access to seven Colombian military bases for 10 years without boosting the number of service personnel and contractors beyond the cap of 1,400 specified by U.S. law. Currently, there are some 230 US service personnel and 400 contractors operating in the country.

Since the agreement emerged in July, tensions have flared in Latin America. Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia have claimed the planned U.S. military deployment is suspiciously large for its stated purpose. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has warned of what he calls "winds of war" blowing across the region.Chavez has been worried that the US could use the agreement to destabilise the region.