Since I know this will come up:

Colombia has a combat-hardened light infantry force predicated on light infantry operations in the tough countryside. It lacks heavy armor, but does operate a number of helicopters. The Colombians have a small navy and a small air force, unlike Venezuela, which has spending a lot of money acquiring top-flight Su-30s from Russia and naval vessels from Spain. While Chavez has more shiny toys to show on parade, a serious question or support and usability arises - most Third World nations do very poorly with high tech weapons, for many reasons. It is doubtful that Venezuela would be any different.

Colombia, aside from supposed US support (although it remains to be seen if President Obama would intervene militarily or simply provide intelligence and support of a more covert nature), Brazil has been making noises about the creeping Chavez threat, as well as Peru. Chavez could call on his Bolivarian allies in Ecuador and Bolivia, but they provide little military weight.

If the two nations began military actions, the fighting would be in rough mountainous terrain with dense jungle canopy making heavy operations difficult. If the Sukhois could get off the ground, they would provide air supremacy for Venezuela, negating the Colombian advantage in heliborne operations. However, the Venezuelan superiority in armored vehicles would be negated by the terrain.

In my mind, you always go with training, leadership and combat experience over pure bean-counting of weapons, many of which would be in need of maintenance. Call it a draw, depending on how China and the USA reacts.

But Hugo Chavez is a hero of the left! How could he be a warmongering lunatic?

That probably means no reestablishment of Gran Colombia. Oh well...

But Hugo Chavez is a hero of the left!

Citation? No one I know thinks he's a hero.

Endy, si! Chavez, no!

After the WAR debate of the last few days...

Actually, the real question is: what is Josh Thole's ransom value on the open market? Would the Mets have to pay less with exclusive negotiating rights? How much does each chopped off finger reduce his value?

Where's David Cameron?

Citation? No one I know thinks he's a hero.

Oliver Stone thinks he's a hero. And lots of poor Venezuelans think he's a hero.

And lots of poor Venezuelans think he's a hero.

And, as it often happens regardless of who's inhabiting the presidential palace, the number is quite correlated with oil revenues.

Also, if the results of the last few elections are any indication, the Caracas poor are no longer a reliable voting bloc. He seems to be doubling down on his rural advantages, though.

Citation? No one I know thinks he's a hero.

Sean Penn. Danny Glover.

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Not yet.

Citation? No one I know thinks he's a hero

It's just Esoteric being Esoteric.

If sane lefties want heroes in Latin America, I'd recommend they look a bit further south.

You know, nobody ever thinks of war in terms of how it affects decent catching prospects. It's the real hidden cost.

You know, nobody ever thinks of war in terms of how it affects decent catching prospects. It's the real hidden cost.

There have been books written about how World War II affected the development of baseball players.

Since I know this will come up:

But where should I deploy my 5 units of Prussian Line Infantry?

But where should I deploy my 5 units of Prussian Line Infantry?

Under the crushing boot of oppression?

But Hugo Chavez is a hero of the left! How could he be a warmongering lunatic?

Isn't being a warmongering lunatic a prerequisite to being a hero of the right?

Left of the line, or advancing slowly to meet Wellington and seal the fate of the Hundred Days...

Citation? No one I know thinks he's a hero.

Magglio Ordoñez.

Mets Monitoring Safety of Prospect in Venezuela

Conclusion: Players are safer in Venzuela than they are playing for the Mets.

Mets Monitoring Safety of Prospect in Venezuela

Conclusion: Players are safer in Venzuela than they are playing for the Mets.

C'mon, David Wright will protect you in NY. He's a member of the Republican Party, NYC's laws mean nothing to his need for self-defense.

Billyshears for the win.

But seriously, once you find yourself debating whether it makes sense to have one of your best prospects continue to play in a foreign country for fear of kidnapping, hasn't the question answered itself?

Citation? No one I know thinks he's a hero.

Magglio Ordoñez.

Who is quite unpopular amongst Venezuelans living abroad as a result.

And lots of poor Venezuelans think he's a hero.

And, as it often happens regardless of who's inhabiting the presidential palace, the number is quite correlated with oil revenues.

Bread and circuses...

He just keeps shutting down private media outlets, and privatizing "important" industries (oil and banking), the next step of course is to ban all political parties but one. He's been following the Totalitarian thug guidebook to the letter- and he's real good at it, he hasn't had to resort to any messy and public massacres of protesters (yet), I guess he's waiting until he feels that his position is too strong for any repercussions of something like that to affect him. If nothing else the failed coup probably made him tread a bit more cautiously.