Colombia accuses Venezuela of tolerating rebels

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia accused Venezuela on Thursday of "continued and permanent tolerance" of leftist rebels who cross into the neighbouring country to seek shelter.

It was Bogota's most direct accusation yet against the government of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who has long been suspected by critics of supporting Colombia's guerrilla movement.

The charge is likely to strain bilateral relations already frayed by a deal allowing U.S. troops access to Colombian bases -- a pact that Chavez has called a threat to Venezuela's security. Colombia says it is also threatened, by Marxists guerrillas using Venezuela as a safe haven.

"The reason for the deterioration in relations between Venezuela and Colombia is the continued and permanent tolerance of the presence of terrorists in that country," Defence Minister Gabriel Silva told reporters.

Colombian officials have long said privately that members of guerrilla armies such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) are based in the jungles on Venezuela's side of the border.

Thursday marked the first time that Colombia's government publicly stated that it had proof that the rebels were hiding in Venezuela.

Silva said he has evidence that among the Colombian rebels in Venezuela is Ivan Marquez, a member of FARC's seven-man governing secretariat who met with other members of the group in Venezuela as recently as Thursday morning.

Colombia's decades-old guerrilla war often spills into neighbouring countries. Two years ago, Colombian forces attacked a FARC camp in Ecuador, killing a top rebel leader.

Ecuador and Venezuela broke diplomatic ties with Colombia over the raid and relations have yet to be fully restored.

Silva's accusation against Venezuela on Thursday could complicate incoming Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos' stated goal of improving relations with Venezuela and Ecuador.

Santos is set next month to succeed two-term President Alvaro Uribe, a Chavez enemy who has based his political career on fighting the FARC guerrillas who killed his father decades ago.

Chavez, who wants socialism to take the place of U.S. influence in South America, ended trade between the two countries last year after Colombia allowed the United States to use Colombian military bases for anti-drug operations.

Chavez asserted that the Colombian bases could be used to launch an invasion of his oil-rich nation. Commerce between the countries had totalled $7 billion (4.5 billion pounds) annually.

The trade cut-off sharply cut cross-border business, exacerbating shortages and fuelling already high inflation in Venezuela while slowing Colombia's economic recovery.

Colombia is the main U.S. military ally in South America. It has received billions of dollars in U.S. aid to help fight the FARC and ELN, which are funded by kidnapping, extortion and cocaine smuggling.

Chavez denies charges from critics that he backs the FARC, the region's oldest leftist rebel army. He says such claims are part of a Washington-led strategy to discredit him.

(Editing by Jack Kimball and Will Dunham)

WhatsAppFacebookTwitterLinkedinBeloudBluesky