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LATIN AMERICA |
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Uribe Censures Demolition of Border Bridges
by Venezuela
BOGOTA – Colombian President Alvaro Uribe
described as “very serious” Venezuela’s
demolition of two pedestrian bridges on the
countries’ shared border, but maintained a
conciliatory tone towards Caracas in saying
that his government “will make no warlike
gestures.”
“Our goal is defeating terrorism, never
making war on people who are our brothers,”
he said in an interview on RCN radio.
Uribe said that Colombia has nothing
“against the international community and
less still against Venezuela.”
Reports that the Venezuelan armed forces
destroyed at least two bridges on the border
with Colombia Thursday was yet another of
the episodes that in recent weeks have
contributed to the deterioration of
relations between Bogota and Caracas.
Residents and authorities of the Colombian
province of Norte de Santander said
Venezuelan soldiers blew up two pedestrian
suspension bridges across the Tachira River,
which serves as the international boundary.
Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez
confirmed that the bridges had been blown
up, but described them as illegal
“improvised footbridges” that were used by
“drug traffickers.”
For its part, the Colombian government
considered the action as a “violation of
international law” and for that reason
reported Venezuela to the U.N. Security
Council and the Organization of American
States.
Colombia and Venezuela have undergone a
grave deterioration in diplomatic, political
and trade relations because of the military
accord by which the United States can use at
least seven Colombian bases.
Venezuela’s leftist head of state, Hugo
Chavez, who survived an April 2002 coup
attempt that former U.S. President Jimmy
Carter said took place with at least the
advance knowledge of Washington, regards the
accord as a threat to regional security.
At the beginning of November, Chavez called
on the country’s armed forces and its people
to “prepare for war,” though afterwards he
toned down those remarks.
In a communique released Thursday night by
the Foreign Ministry, the Venezuelan
government asked the European Union to
“urge” the United States and Colombia to
desist from “turning South America into an
area of instability.”
Other Latin American nations, including U.S.
allies Brazil and Chile, have also voiced
concerns about the Colombia basing
agreement.
The crisis between Bogota and Caracas has
led to incidents on the border in recent
weeks that have left more than a dozen dead.
In spite of everything, Uribe said Friday
that Colombia “is not going to close the
border,” nor does he consider applying trade
restrictions against the neighboring
country.
“For Colombia, international trade is also
an expression of solidarity. In these times
of scarcity, if we have just one liter of
milk left we’ll share it with Venezuela,”
the president said. EFE |
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