Colombia proposes summit to
solve diplomatic crisis with
Venezuela
Colombian President Alvaro
Uribe on Saturday proposed to
his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo
Chavez, that the two meet to
discuss the diplomatic crisis
unleashed by the capture of a
Colombian rebel leader.
The call came after Venezuela
recalled its ambassador from
Bogota and suspended diplomatic
and commercial relations with
Colombia this week, demanding
the neighbor's apologies for
"the abduction of a Colombian
rebel leader from Venezuela."
In December, Colombian
authorities captured Rodrigo
Granda, the international
representative of the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC), the largest
rebel group in Colombia.
Venezuela described the move as
a kidnapping carried out in its
own territory, which violated
Venezuela's sovereignty.
Colombia denied the charge,
saying Granda was captured in
Colombia's border city of Cucuta.
But it admitted bribing
Venezuelan security officials to
help seize the rebel leader.
Uribe hopes the summit "to be a
public discussion, within the
framework of a presidential
summit and with the
participation of other
presidents," said Ricardo Galan,
press secretary of the
presidential office.
The meeting would also address
issues of cooperation, combat
against drug-trafficking and
terrorism, and the strengthening
of bilateral trade.
However, Uribe said that his
government did not violate the
sovereignty of Venezuela as the
capture of Granda took place on
Colombian territory.
As the diplomatic row
intensified in the past few
days, political leaders of both
countries have been calling for
dialogue to resolve the issue.
Former Colombian foreign
minister Augusto Ramirez and
Venezuelan ruling party
Representative Luis Tascon
called for an urgent meeting
between the two countries'
foreign ministers to avoid a
worsening of the crisis.
Colombian legislator Gustavo
Petro, leader of opposition
Independent Democratic Pole,
said Chavez called him up twice
on Friday night and told him he
wished "to improve bilateral
relations."
Granda is staying in a top
security jail of Colombia, under
charges of rebellion and
terrorism.
Venezuela regrets over
Colombia's refusal to apologize
Venezuela on Saturday
expressed regret over Colombia's
refusal to apologize for the
capture of a top Colombian rebel
in Venezuela.
Vice President Jose Vicente
Rangel said in a statement the
kidnapping in Caracas of leader
of the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia, Rodrigo
Granda, represented the
resumption of "policy of
provocation", which brought the
two Andean countries to the
verge of war two decades ago
when a Colombian frigate invaded
Venezuelan territorial waters.
Venezuela recalled its
ambassador from Bogota to
protest last month's Colombian
police operation, and President
Hugo Chavez on Friday froze his
country's diplomatic and
commercial relations with
Colombia and demanded a public
apology.
In Saturday's statement, Rangel
said the Colombian authorities
failed to find the way to solve
the problem, noting that the
statements made by Colombia's
official spokesman and its
police were "contradictory."
"The only issue under discussion
here is the violation of the
sovereignty of a nation," Rangel
said.
Colombia has refused to
apologize and insists that
Granda was not kidnapped, but
arrested in the Colombian town
of Cucuta near the border with
Venezuela.
Caracas maintains that Granda
was kidnapped in Caracas by a
group of Venezuelan military
bribed by the Colombian
government.
Five Venezuelan national guards
have been arrested for handing
Granda over to Colombia for a
reward.
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Argentine FM's luggage searched
at US airport
Security agents stopped
Argentine Foreign Minister
Rafael Bielsa and searched his
luggage at an airport in the
United States Friday, according
to press reports here on
Saturday.
The incident occurred when
Bielsa and his aide, Anibal
Gutierrez, asked to get off a
plane whose takeoff was delayed
six hours at Miami International
Airport, said an Argentine
diplomat was quoted as saying.
The foreign minister, who was on
a stopover on an American
Airlines flight from Haiti to
New York, had visited
Argentina's peacekeeping troops
stationed at the Haitian city of
Gonaives Saturday afternoon.
Bielsa told the US agents that
he had a right to change his
flight after being delayed for
hours without any explanation
from the airline, saying he was
"a passenger, not a hostage."
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