Impasse in
Colombia-Venezuela Ties
Relations between
Colombia and Venezuela
are going through clear
signs of deterioration,
paradoxically after
advances towards a
humanitarian agreement,
according to Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez.
The trigger that sparked
off the crisis, as
Chavez called it, was
the abrupt interruption
by the Colombian
government of the
Venezuelan president's
mediating for a
humanitarian exchange of
prisoners in the hands
of the Colombian
government and
guerrillas.
For Chavez, his
one-minute telephone
conversation with a
Colombian general was a
pretext to cut off a
process pointing to
positive results, even
hopeful for peace.
The possibility of a
meeting with guerrilla
leader Manuel Marulanda
in Colombia territory
was what led to the
reaction of the US and
Colombian sectors
interested in
maintaining the war,
according to Chavez.
After Colombian
spokespersons alleged
Chavez had disobeyed the
order banning talks with
the military, which he
denied, Colombian
president Alvaro Uribe
accused him of
expansionism, causing a
strong reaction.
ó I am happy with
Uribe's reply, because
he is now unmasked, ó
stated Chavez, and added
ó he does not want
peace, he wants to end
with the guerrilla by
military force, and has
the support of US
President George W.
Bush." In a televised
interview with several
Venezuelan journalists,
Chavez announced he
created a situation to
follow the crisis, for
which he convened
figures such as former
Vice President Jose
Vicente Rangel.
According to the
president, the state of
affairs has shown
Uribe's double standard,
which he said he always
suspected, but ó was
trying to be pragmatic
in relations. ó hr dig
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