Interpol says no tampering on FARC laptops

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Interpol, the international policeagency, said on Thursday documents found on Colombian rebelcomputers, which Colombia's government charges show thatVenezuela and Ecuador supported leftist guerrillas, wereauthentic.

However, the agency did not verify the contents of thefiles captured in a Colombian military raid on a Marxist rebelcamp in Ecuador in March in which a top guerrilla leader waskilled.

Revelations from the three laptops, hard drives andcomputer data keys are fuelling tensions in the Andean region,where Colombian is Washington's closest ally and Venezuela andEcuador are fierce U.S. critics.

"Interpol concludes there was no tampering with any data,"Interpol chief Ronald Noble said through an interpreter in aBogota news conference. "Our only motive was to find outwhether there was any tampering."

Colombia invited Interpol to carry out forensic tests toguarantee it had not tried to manipulate the material found onthree laptops and other hardware captured in the raid.

Colombian and U.S. officials, who label the rebels asterrorists, say the documents show Venezuelan officialsprovided support to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombiaor FARC, who are fighting Latin America's oldest insurgency.

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the UnitedStates was highly disturbed that Venezuela might be activelyaiding the rebels.

"There are serious allegations about Venezuela supplyingarms and support to a terrorist organization," he said.

Venezuela and Ecuador dismiss the accusations as false andpart of a U.S.-backed campaign to discredit their governments.They say any contacts with rebels were only part ofhumanitarian efforts to free guerrilla hostages.

"The government of Colombia is capable of provoking a warwith Venezuela to justify the intervention of the UnitedStates," Chavez said recently. "Whatever they want they willfind -- it's ridiculous."

U.S. officials portray Chavez as a threat to regionalstability as he pushes his socialist revolution. The formersoldier counters Washington wants to oust him.

The computer evidence has generated talk in the U.S.Congress about whether Washington will seek sanctions againstChavez. But analysts say that measure is complicated becauseVenezuela is a key U.S. oil supplier.

(Editing by Alan Elsner)