This is the alternative we are confronted to by the former national senator and current Governor of Chaco province, Jorge Capitanich, being him for a couple of years the stoker of a «new strategic alliance with USA» (as he mentioned), and which today begins to clearly show its results as the first South military base has just been settled in Argentina, on the basis of a harmless argument of a humanitarian base to be of help under natural catastrophes situations. The official website of the Government of Chaco announced: We just need to have all the technological resources and necessary equipment for being ready to train all staff», these being the words of the Edwin Passmore, North American Chief Commander of the South, who had a meeting with Governor Jorge Capitanich a few weeks ago.(1)

Up to this point this is a «humanitarian» initiative shown as some help in case of catastrophes from a superpower to a south republic, which surprisingly has not been relevant to the Media (being the latter the first to speak out against the disastrous measures taken by the government, but clearly avoids investigating or reporting on USA measures in the region and/or Argentina).

The first approach to this issue of the foreign base was mentioned by Chaco (and Argentina as well, as this issue was agreed by the former minister and current senator Aníbal Fernández and the Chaco Governor in that moment). It was related to the reason «why we need of foreign special support to be prepared to face an eventual natural catastrophe «, when we know that the national state counts on the necessary means, personnel and bodies which have been duly trained to be up to the needs under catastrophic situations. But, even when we could be short of resources in that area, why not resorting to international organizations which are specialists (White Helmets, Pan-American Health Organization, Unicef or the Red Cross) and instead of them we are requiring the support of a military body from a foreign power through the Southern Command.

What is the Southern Command? It is a body which has for years taken the role of: the leader organization among the existing North American Agencies (State Department – CIA –DEA, etc.), in order to guarantee: «security, stability and prosperity in all America», and this role of the South Command lies within the rising power of the Defense Department along the North American foreign politics, as part of a comprehensive plan, being this separate from the other issues US is involved in and, even more importantly, independent of any possible «change» in US administration. Besides, we can mention that the XXI century is not and shall not be a peaceful period in time. The political dynamics which leads this century is more and more expressed in military terms.

Since USA started to lose its influence over Latin America, economically speaking: China, India and Russia and the EU have become important partners in the region, leaving aside US power along the XX century; and politically speaking: as Latin America, mainly South America, led integration processes which were consolidated with Mercosur, UNASUR, ALBA, CELAC, and which do not include USA. The role of USA presence in the area was done by the Southern Command which took the role of the representative of the empire in our territory, as once were the Proconsuls of the Roman Empire. Not to acknowledge this fact is a serious crime when we need to make strategic alliances, for the consequences they might bring us. One of the new strategies of the Southern Command to make less suspicious and better seen their presence in the region is their humanitarian role, which is neither harmless nor neutral. This means to appear with military bases, which should not be either military or bases, but Security and Cooperation Centers; being this the new ‘flexible’ concept of the Pentagon of the 'military bases' which are not clear enough as regards the civil activities, bringing this greater 'confusion' on the public opinion (2).

Within this context, it is not a coincidence that Chaco Governor, Jorge Capitanich has already started a crusade to settle here the «American Union», when in September 2010 he welcomed a group of North American delegates, who were invited by a local Foundation (as there´s always a foundation which is the «link» to have these meetings. In that event the governor called for a strategic Alliance between North and South America for the goodwill of the continent, which by being unified would be able to reposition itself as a world power, as Capitanich firmly stated: «I will defend this. Together we can be the greatest reservoir of mining, sweet water, food, energy, cultural resources, touristic spots, human resources talents and technology related to productive processes», these were the words of the governor who spoke as a president. He ended his speech by saying: «From South America we perceive with certain sadness that the United States does not consider us an ally» (3), he also stated that this crisis is an opportunity to strengthen our relations. «I go for a strategic Alliance and I am willing to fight for this idea», he added.

These declarations which are sustained by the base being set up in the Province, takes us to questioning, Are these policies agreeing with the idea of South American continental integration without US intervention, which most of the countries of the region and the national government backs up and defends? Clearly not. What would happen with the UNASUR and the CELAC if the idea of the American Liaison, claimed by Capitanich and the South American Defense Council, eventually succeeds? All we have done would be useless if we dare reject the state of dependency we have been leading with wrong national policies supported by this humanitarian power, which today comes to our rescue with the «non bases». Is this governor stoking once again the balkanization – division of the South American countries in the XXI century? It is clearly happening with the feelings of mistrust he might bring up. Which might be the true role of a humanitarian base in Chaco which is monitoring a region which seems to be unstable? All these within the context of the chief of the Southern Command, Douglas Fraser, who warned against about possible «geopolitical turbulence» in Bolivia; or with the annually submitted reports about the presence of international terrorists in the triple frontier (which have never been firmly proved); or its intervention with the argument of being of «help» to fight against drug dealing, these being the basis for President Evo Morales to agree that: the fight against drugs is the clear geopolitical tool for the USA to lead domain in our region (4). Even more this humanitarian base is located in an area which is rich in natural resources and might eventually controlled by western powers, mainly after the «water» became for the pentagon an strategic resource, together with petrol and gas, here and in the world, these are not neutral, but on the contrary, they are part of an initiative to set conflicts as the ones seen in South America when they promoted many contradictions among the different people; or by neutralizing processes which are contrary to their interests.

While our National Government promotes an international campaign to convince the world that the American partner, the UK has militarized the South Atlantic by having a news military base in Malvinas, the Chaco Governor, Jorge Capitanich, allows the legal admission of a military base in the continental territory, being him compared to the «Troyan horse» of the Southern Command in Argentina. 

For all mentioned above, I dare say that the current situation in Chaco seems to be compared to sleeping with the enemy. 

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