BOGOTA, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- NATO's agreement to begin talks with Colombia on cooperation leading to full membership was announced Friday, angering neighboring Venezuela.
NATO has 28 member states, and several programs involving non-member nations. Colombia is one of five "global partners" with the designation of "NATO associate," several rungs below "cooperation" status, and has sought full partnership in the military bloc since 2009. It has numerous internal hurdles to overcome, notably a reversal of Colombia's Constitutional Court, which struck down a bill in 2015 permitting the country to seek a higher status in NATO.