Colombia Denies
Intrusion Into
Venezuelan Territory
Colombian Defense
Minister Juan Manuel
Santos on Sunday denied
a Venezuelan accusation
that Colombian troops
had illegally entered
into Venezuelan
territory last week.
The soldiers "were doing
nothing. I have been
informed that there
isn't any incursion,"
Santos told Bogota-based
Caracol radio.
Santos said rough
terrain along the border
"made it practically
impossible for (the
incursion) to happen the
way they said."
According to a
diplomatic note sent by
the Venezuelan Foreign
Ministry, 60 Colombian
soldiers "were found
about 800 meters from
the countries' shared
border" Friday in
southwest Venezuela and
were "forced to abandon
the operation
immediately."
Venezuelan Information
Minister Andres Izarra
said in Caracas on
Sunday that Venezuela
had photos and other
materials to prove that
Colombian troops
illegally crossed the
Venezuelan border.
Santos said he had
talked with the head of
Colombia's armed forces,
who assured him that no
such incident had taken
place.
Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe said
Saturday that in case
that the incursion was
proved, he would be
ready to offer apology
to the Venezuelan
government. "If it is
not true, we will give
explanations," Uribe
said.
Colombia and Venezuela
share a borderline of
2,219 km that winds
through mountains and
thick patches of jungle.
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