BOGOTA — Colombia on Saturday rejected accusations by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez that it was planning a military assault on Venezuela, as ties between the two neighbours continued to deteriorate.
Colombian Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo said differences were being handled through “diplomatic channels”.
Chavez on Friday accused Bogota of preparing an attack on Venezuela at the behest of the US, and said it would be impossible to return to “normal” relations.
“I accuse the government of Colombia of designing a conspiracy, a war provocation against Venezuela, following orders from the US, to force us to give a reply that could spark a war,” Chavez said, without elaborating.
Chavez — a left-wing populist and vehement critic of the US — has repeatedly clashed with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Last year Uribe agreed to allow Chavez to mediate an exchange of hostages held by leftist Colombian rebels for imprisoned rebels. In November Uribe abruptly halted the arrangement with Chavez after he suggested Farc rebels should be recognised as a legitimate political entity.
Chavez said on Friday he had washed his hands of the mediation process.
Colombia, meanwhile, ordered troops to surround jungle camps where rebels are believed to be holding hundreds of hostages in a bid to force their release, despite concern the captives would be killed. Once the army finds the makeshift jails and seals their perimeters, an international commission will be asked to press the leftist guerrillas to negotiate the release of the abductees, Uribe said on Saturday.
Critics of the plan said Farc may execute hostages such as French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans. Betancourt was taken during her 2002 presidential campaign.
US defence contractors Thomas Howes, Keith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves were captured during an antidrug mission in 2003. Sapa-DPA, Reuters
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