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Authorities in Peru arrest two at border with US$150,000

Authorities in Peru arrested two Peruvians on Monday as they tried to enter the country from Ecuador carrying some US$150,000 in cash, and a top official said they are linked to groups that may be funded by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's government.

"This morning police captured two individuals, one carrying US$50,000 and the other US$100,000," Peruvian President Alan Garcia's Cabinet chief, Jorge del Castillo, said in a meeting with foreign journalists. "Where did they get it?"

A congressional investigation concluded last week that Venezuela likely funds Peruvian leftist groups, including organizations backing a trade bloc promoted by Chavez as an alternative to US-sponsored trade initiatives. A Venezuelan official denied the report's conclusions.

A Venezuelan link is also suspected in the case of Roque Gonzalez, a former high-ranking member of the Cuban-inspired Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement, or MRTA, who was arrested on Feb. 29 and is charged with forming part of an international terrorist group.

Authorities allege that he paid for members of a pro-Venezuela group to travel to an international leftist conference in Ecuador last month, and that he purchased multiple tickets all under his name to hide their identities.

The government says Gonzales is still a member of the MRTA.

"How did Roque Gonzalez, a prominent member of the MRTA who does not have any kind of employment, buy 15 tickets for his group to travel to Ecuador and back?" del Castillo said on Monday.

He said the government suspects Venezuela of providing "under the table" funding, but stopped short of accusing Chavez outright.

"There is evidently a hand that's financing this," del Castillo said. "I won't venture to single out anyone for now, to say `Hugo Chavez,' for now."

A spokeswoman at the Venezuelan embassy in Lima said nobody was immediately available to respond to del Castillo's comments.

But Venezuelan Ambassador Armando Laguna has strongly denied the allegations contained in last week's congressional report and told Peru's CPN radio that Lima should "ask me to leave Peru" if it finds proof that Venezuela is funding leftist groups in Peru.

Del Castillo said Peru would not tolerate any foreign meddling and would exercise its "right to defend its sovereignty" if the allegations are confirmed.
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