There’s a pretty good bit of information involved in this particular political squabble. The short of it is that today Venezuela blew up a couple of walking bridges that lead over the Colombian border. They claim it was in the name of stopping drug trafficking, but it’s pretty obvious that they are trying to act out of aggression without drawing much consequence. They want to make sure Colombia knows they’re prepared for war if it comes down to it.

This is where some explanation probably needs to come in, because Colombian trade relations have been a little strained by a little bit of dithering over the last 18-24 months. That’s all I’ve heard about Colombia for a pretty good while, but Colombia is still perceived as a US ally. The main reason? The very war on drugs Venezuela is scapegoating. American troops have been granted special access to Colombian military bases in the name of stopping the drug wars. The maneuver as far as I can tell has had very limited success in stopping drug trade, but very impressive success in keeping the Colombian peoples safe.

The United States of America, being the political dynamo it is, has been drawing some pretty heavy criticism from some Latin American countries. In my opinion, this decision really needs to be put in the hands of the powers of the region. I have no problem with backing down on international drug policing if Colombians want to avoid conflict with their neighbors, but the government of Colombia has taken a hard stand on the matter. They will not be pushed around. And Brazil and the US have backed the Colombians.

This may be a big stink about nothing, but the Venezuelan government is not something to be trusted easily. When they claim they are ready for war, I don’t think we should assume it’s posturing. Venezuela has a genuine fear of American invasion, and many of its Central American allies are weary of the United States becoming entrenched too far south.

I can almost guarantee that something significantly more important than a walking bridge is going to be blown up soon, and then we may see some serious shifting of power dynamics in the area. Perhaps Brazil will get to flex some real political muscle in the region sooner than expected.