Relations between Bogota and Caracas have been strained periodically over accusations by the Colombian military that Chavez is letting FARC rebels use Venezuela as a staging ground for attacks. In February, Colombia's interior minister accused Chavez of meeting "frequently" with FARC rebels, but was publicly reprimanded by Uribe after Venezuela threatened to break off diplomatic relations. Chavez, who has criticized Colombia's U.S.-backed "Plan Colombia" offensive against drug-traffickers and guerrillas, denies he is collaborating with the guerrillas, who are described as "terrorists" by Washington.
"Last week I told Chavez: 'President, stop worrying so much about Colombia's security policies. Tell the FARC that if they are bored with our policies, they can negotiate with me in five minutes'," Uribe told a university audience in Bogota. Colombian media have alleged that Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, the top FARC commander, has been hiding in neighboring Venezuela since the Colombian government broke off peace talks with the rebel group in February 2002.
Uribe, a close U.S. ally in the war on drugs who took office in August 2002, has launched an offensive against the 17,000-strong FARC, which originated 39 years ago in a peasant uprising. He has said he will only negotiate peace with rebels if they agree to a cease-fire. On Sunday, FARC guerrillas fired assault rifles as Uribe's helicopter flew into a village in northern Colombia. [End]
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Uribe and Chavez sitting together (lower left corner ) last week in Paraguay.
From left seated at table are Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe, Spain's Prince Felipe, Cuban President Fidel Castro, Ecuadorean President Lucio Gutierrez and Bolivia's Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during lunch in Asuncion, Paraguay, Friday, Aug. 15, 2003, after attending the inauguration for Paraguayan President Nicanor Duarte.(AP Photo/Dado Galdieri)
Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe, right, shakes hands with U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld during a meeting at Bogota's presidential palace, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2003. Rumsfled is in Colombia to pledge Washington's commitment to bolster Colombia's counternarcotics effort. (AP Photo/HO-Cesar Carrion, CNE)
Crises in Venezuela***Recently, Venezuela's permissiveness — if not outright support — for terror groups inspired U.S. Army Gen. Richard Boyer to compare Venezuela with Syria. The next day, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell said "the government of the United States and the people of Venezuela have a differing view of democracy than does President Chavez." Taken together, these comments are a clear shot across the bow of Mr. Chavez. Mr. Chavez's anti-democratic behavior and support of terror groups is earning him an associate membership in the "axis of evil."
But these events go almost totally unnoticed within the American media. We've largely ignored the comments of U.S. Southern Command's Gen. James T. Hill, who said that there is a proliferation of terror groups in Latin America. Instead, the war-weary American media turns its tunnel vision to the Laci Peterson investigation or the Kobe Bryant scandal.
One of the most important fronts in the war on terror is being left behind, and probably won't get the coverage it deserves until the powder keg explodes. Who will be to blame when Americans again ask, "Why didn't we know?"***
U.S. Says Closely Watching Venezuela Referendum Steps***CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - The United States, which has clashed with leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez over policies, on Friday strongly backed plans for a national referendum on whether he should stay in office. The United States, like other nations in the hemisphere, backs a constitutional solution to the crisis (in Venezuela)," Stephen McFarland, charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, told a news conference. "We are all following very closely the referendum process," he added. ***