Washington - Colombia and the United States are planning to sign "at the end of the week" a controversial military deal, Colombian Defence Minister Gabriel Silva said Tuesday in Washington. The deal whereby Colombia is set to allow the United States use of seven military bases on Colombian soil was announced this summer, although it has yet to be signed by Washington and Bogota.
The US-Colombian plan has drawn sharp criticism from Latin American leaders who worry that the US presence could threaten the sovereignty of neighbouring countries and promote meddling in internal affairs.
Bogota and Washington have insisted that the bases will be used only to combat drug-trafficking and terrorism within Colombia's borders.
