Translation mine.El Ecuadorable (currently in Belgium, charming the royal pants off the king, while Foreign Minister Fander Falconí stands in for him) and Evo (closing out his electoral campaign in Potosí) both have sound reasons for missing this summit, which they would otherwise unquestionably attend, both having parts of their countries located in the Amazon Basin. But how about El Narco? Well, maybe it’s because Chavecito has made clear his displeasure–or rather, the collective displeasure of all Venezuelans–at not only those seven bases being handed over to the gringos for spying and terrorism purposes, but also the illegal footbridges that enable smuggling and paramilitary incursions (and which were recently destroyed, with no harm to any person or legitimate structures, by the Venezuelan army.) Chavecito is, as you can see, much bigger (and handsomer) than El Narco. Maybe that’s why El Narco can’t look him in the eye anymore…it’s because he’s scared of him. And worse, he knows Chavecito is right. Little wonder he doesn’t want Lula shoving the two of them together. He’s petrified! Chavecito won’t beat him up, of course–he’s way too nice to hit a little shrimp with glasses. But Alvarito still knows he’ll be going home awfully butthurt if he gets so much as a stern talking-to from our man in red. And so will his imperial string-pullers.In a surprise move, the government of Colombia announced the cancellation of a visit by president Alvaro Uribe to the Summit of the Amazonian Countries, just after the president of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, host of the summit (in Manaos), declared that it would be a favorable time for a meeting between Uribe and his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez. The government of Colombia confirmed last week that Uribe would be attending the summit, prior to a climate converence of the United Nations in Copenhagen, between December 7 and 18, according to the AFP news agency.It is expected that in the next few hours the Presidency of Colombia will make public a letter by Uribe in which he will be excusing himself.Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa, who is on an international tour, will not be attending, and neither will Bolivian president Evo Morales, whose country will be holding elections.
