Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez severs ties with Colombia
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Friday, July 23, 2010
Venezuela has broken off diplomatic relations with Colombia and ordered Colombian diplomats to leave the country by Sunday.
President Hugo Chavez said he had "no choice" after Colombia accused
Venezuela of being a haven for guerrillas - a charge he denies.
He said that he was acting "out of dignity" in severing ties.
He also ordered the military to be on maximum alert on Venezuela's border with Colombia.
President
Chavez made his announcement shortly after a meeting of the
Organisation of American States (OAS) in Washington, at which Colombia
presented videos, maps and photos to back up its claims that Marxist
Farc and ELN rebels have bases in Venezuela.
The
Colombian ambassador to the OAS, Luis Alfonso Hoyos, said the material
was clear evidence that some 1,500 Colombian rebels were sheltering at
numerous camps inside Venezuela.
Mr Hoyos said the photographs showed that the rebels had 39 camps in
Venezuela and that top guerrilla commanders were resident there.
His
Venezuelan counterpart, Roy Chaderton, ridiculed the Colombian
evidence, saying that the photos and videos could have been taken
anywhere.
Mr Hoyos demanded that Venezuela fulfil its
international obligations to fight terrorism and that it allow an
international commission to visit suspect sites.
"We have the right to demand that Venezuela doesn't hide those wanted by Colombia," he said.
After
the meeting, OAS Secretary-General Jose Miguel Insulza told reporters
that the regional body could not mount an inspection mission without
Venezuela's consent.
President Chavez did not respond
directly to the demand but said the US was using Colombia to undermine
his country's regional integration efforts.