Brazil, Chile wary of U.S. troop boost

A plan to increase U.S. troops in Colombia is drawing opposition not just from left-wing populist leaders in the region, but from the moderate governments of Brazil and Chile as well.

The spreading criticism threatens to isolate Colombia from its neighbors as it combats a cocaine-funded insurgency.

The government is expected to sign an expanded U.S. military pact this month after a final round of talks. Colombia, Washington’s main ally in the region, says the plan is aimed at strengthening anti-drug efforts.

But leftist Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez accuses the United States of setting up a military platform in Colombia from which to “attack” its neighbors. Mr. Chavez’s allies in Ecuador, Bolivia and Nicaragua have also criticized the plan.