Budget documents from the U.S. Congress have recently come to light revealing just what the long-range intention of this military build-up is: “documents suggest the bases could be used for continental combat operations and to neutralize regional governments considered ‘anti-U.S.,’ presumably Venezuela but also likely including Bolivia, Ecuador, Cuba and Nicaragua.” Yikes.

Things are heating up down here. On November 5th, following the signing of this pact between the U.S. and Colombia, Venezuela severed diplomatic ties with Colombia and froze trade between the two nations.

The U.S. Air Force document, which designates funding to “increase our capability to conduct Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR),” gives substantial weight to Chávez’s fears of destabilization by the U.S. and Colombia, particularly in the wake of the Venezuelan government’s recent accusation of espionage by the Colombian intelligence agency – part of a CIA-linked operation.

Here is the full report.