Chavez accuses US of provoking
diplomatic crisis
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez
accused the United States of
provoking a diplomatic crisis
between his country and
Colombia.
The United States was behind
Colombia's arrest of Rodrigo
Granda, a commander of the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC), on Venezuelan
territory last month, Chavez
said.
"I know where this provocation
comes from: from Washington, not
from Bogota!" Chavez told a
crowd of cheering supporters.
He also criticized Colombian
President Alvaro Uribe for "not
having a moment" to address his
charges, saying "it is up to the
Colombian government to admit to
its error."
Thousands of demonstrators
joined a march Sunday to show
support to Chavez and demanded
respect for Venezuela's
sovereignty. They rejected any
part the United States played in
the capture of the rebel leader.
In December last year, Colombian
agents snatched Granda in
Venezuela and took him to the
Colombian territory, according
to Venezuela.
On Jan. 14, Chavez froze his
country's diplomatic and
commercial relations with
Colombia and said they will not
be resumed until Bogota
apologizes for "the abduction of
Granada from Venezuela."
After the incident, the US
government requested South
American countries to press
Venezuela to sever its alleged
ties with Colombian guerrillas
and help solve the dispute
between Colombia and Venezuela.
Chinese vice president arrives
in Mexico for official visit
Chinese Vice President Zeng
Qinghong arrived here Sunday for
a three-day official visit to
Mexico at the invitation of the
Mexican government.
Zeng said in a prepared airport
statement that his visit is
aimed at enhancing friendship,
strengthening mutual trust,
deepening cooperation and
sharing common development.
During the visit, Zeng said, he
will exchange views with
President Vicente Fox and other
Mexican leaders on bilateral
relations and international and
regional issues of shared
concern.
"I am convinced that my current
visit will yield positive
results as expected and help
further deepen the China-Mexico
strategic partnership," he said.
China and Mexico cherish their
traditional friendship, with
Mexico being China's important
cooperation partner in Latin
America, Zeng said. He added
that since the two established
diplomatic ties 33 years ago,
bilateral relationship has
advanced smoothly and friendly
cooperation has yielded fruitful
results in various fields.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and
Mexican President Fox announced
the establishment of a strategic
partnership between the two
countries during Wen's visit to
Mexico in December 2003,
indicating bilateral ties
entered a new period, Zeng said.
In August last year, the two
countries set up a committee and
held its first session, laying
down a solid foundation for
bilateral cooperation in the new
century, he added.
Zeng flew in here from Fiji,
where he met with Fijian
President Ratu Josefa Iloilovato
Iluivuda and Prime Minister
Laisenia Qarase during a
stop-over there.
Mexico is the first leg of
Zeng's first five-nation visit
to Latin America and the
Caribbean, which will also take
him to Peru, Venezuela, Trinidad
and Tobago, and Jamaica.
Zeng is also scheduled to attend
the opening ceremony of the
first ministerial-level meeting
of the China-Caribbean economic
and trade cooperation forum on
Feb. 2 in Kingston, capital of
Jamaica.
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Sister of Brazilian hostage in
Iraq calls for mercy
A sister of the Brazilian
engineer held hostage in Iraq
called on Sunday on the militant
kidnappers to show mercy to her
brother, saying her brother was
not an enemy of Iraq.
"They know that Brazil did not
interfere in the Iraqi war, that
Brazil did not send troops, that
Brazil was not favorable to the
attack. The Brazilian people are
by nature peaceful," Isabel
Vasconcelos, a sister of the
kidnapped engineer, told the
GloboNews television.
The Qatar-based al-Jazeera TV
channel said Saturday that a
militant group calling itself Al
Mujahedeen Squadrons had
abducted a Brazilian and showed
a video of his identification
card.
Brazilian construction company
Norberto Odebrecht confirmed
that the company had lost
contact with an employee named
Joao Jose Vasconcelos.
A spokesman for Brazil's Foreign
Ministry said the government has
begun rescue efforts.
Vasconcelos was the second
Brazilian kidnapped in the
violence-ravaged country.
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