Chavez Wants War in South America

Venezuelan nutcase Hugo Chavez is spoiling for war in South America:

SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — South America was on the brink of war yesterday as Venezuela and Ecuador amassed troops on the Colombian border in response to the killing of a Marxist rebel leader.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez threatened to join the rebels in a war to overthrow hard-line Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, a key ally of the United States, deploying tanks, fighter jets and thousands of troops along the Colombian border.

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa also ordered troops to the border, expelled Colombia's ambassador and recalled its ambassador to Bogota, but left its embassy open. Venezuela closed its embassy in Colombia and ordered all diplomats home.

A weekend battle sparked the mobilization, in which Colombian forces killed a top leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a camp in Ecuador.

What would be the benefit of a war for Chavez? If successful (and he clearly thinks he would be) he could remove a pro-American government in a neighboring country, unite the currently fractured Venezuelan people behind him, and drive oil prices through the roof. It's a win-win-win for Chavez....if he's successful.