Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday dismissed Colombian charges that he harbored leftist Colombian rebels as “a hoax” and pretext for a possible US-backed invasion of his oil-producing country.
A day after abruptly severing relations with US ally Colombia over the accusations, the socialist Venezuelan leader condemned the government of outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe as “an instrument of [US] imperialism”.
Leftist Chavez’s breaking of ties with Bogota has ratcheted up tensions between OPEC member Venezuela and US-supported Colombia.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Addressing a meeting in Caracas of trade unionists from the Americas, Chavez said the US was targeting his rule.
“Now Colombia is a great big Yankee base,” he said, referring to a deal last year that allows US forces the use of Colombian military bases, a pact Chavez says poses a direct threat to his country.
The Venezuelan leader repeated his government’s rejection of photos, videos and maps presented by Colombia to the Organization of American States (OAS) to back its charges that Colombian guerrillas operate from camps inside Venezuela.
“All this hoax that here in Venezuela there are I don’t know how many thousands of terrorists ... this lie is a perfect excuse to attempt an invasion of Venezuela,” he said.
Such an attack would trigger “a 100-year war,” Chavez said, adding: “May God protect us from such a war.”
“We want peace in Colombia, we want peace between us,” he said.
He even suggested the more than four-decades-old Marxist insurgency in Colombia should “reconsider its armed strategy.”
“I don’t think there are conditions in Colombia for them [the guerrillas] to take power in a foreseeable period of time,” he said, noting that other former leftist rebels in Latin American had turned politicians and won elections.
Earlier, the US urged Chavez to address the charges by Bogota of Colombian rebels sheltering in Venezuela.
US State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said it was unfortunate Venezuela would not allow an international commission to verify the Colombian charges, as requested by Bogota at the OAS.
“It was a petulant response by Venezuela to cut off relations with Colombia,” Crowley said in Washington.
He told reporters the US government hoped for a more “constructive” reply from Caracas.
Despite the heated Venezuelan government rhetoric, the border with Colombia remained calm on Friday and Latin American governments sought to defuse the rift between the Andean neighbors.
Most analysts believe a military clash is unlikely.
Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez said that his country wanted better cooperation from Venezuela to dismantle illegal armed groups battling Colombia’s government.
“What is clear is that there needs to be a specific instrument or mechanism so that this subject is resolved and there is effective cooperation in the fight against terrorism,” he told reporters in Bogota.
Despite tensions, the main crossing between San Antonio del Tachira in Venezuela and Cucuta in Colombia was open and vehicles and people were crossing with no sign of any immediate military build-up or major troop movements, witnesses said.
Earlier on Friday, Venezuelan Defense Minister General Carlos Mata appeared on television to declare loyalty to Chavez and to sternly warn Uribe’s government against attempting an attack.
Mata said in his broadcast the Venezuelan military was “operationally prepared.”
Uribe, who will be succeeded by newly elected Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos on Aug. 7, has ramped up charges that Caracas tolerates rebels in Venezuelan territory.
Chavez has expressed the hope that ties, which were turbulent with Uribe, can return to normal under Santos, who has been careful to avoid public comment on the rift so far.
Santos has said he favors dialogue with Caracas.
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