reelection

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez loves a good rant, and in early November he directed his ire once again toward Colombia, warning of an imminent war between the two nations. "Prepare yourselves for war," Chavez instructed military commanders in a televised address on Nov. 8.

Days later, Chavez backed off his comments, claiming his words had been manipulated. But on Nov. 21 he announced the pending arrival of 300 tanks from Russia and again told his supporters they were obligated to prepare for combat.

In an interview last month with BBC television, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe could not conceal his exasperation. Yet the interviewer had asked a legitimate and seemingly harmless question: "Do you want to be president four more years?"

"Next question, amigo," Uribe told the Argentine journalist conducting the interview. "Study the history of your country and leave Colombian democracy alone."