US Access to Colombian Bases Challenged

In a ruling to make Hugo Chavez forget that his country his circling the drain, the Colombian Supreme Court is reviewing a base deal with the US.

Colombia's Constitutional Court has decided to review an agreement giving US forces access to seven Colombian military bases after a group of lawyers filed a complaint arguing it is unconstitutional, court officials said Saturday.
The lawsuit claims the October 2009 military accord is invalid because it was signed by the government of President Alvaro Uribe without prior discussion in Congress, as mandated by the constitution.
The military pact, part of a joint effort to counter drug trafficking and insurgencies, has been denounced by neighboring Venezuela as US interference in the region, raising tensions between Bogota and Caracas.
The "Jose Alvear Restrepo" group of lawyers argues the military accord should have been discussed by lawmakers since it involves stationing foreign troops on Colombian soil, a court official said.

By: Brant