http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22822835-2703,00.html
Bogota's ties with Chavez worsen November 27, 2007 BOGOTA: Tensions between Colombia and Venezuela soared yesterday, with President Alvaro Uribe alleging Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was seeking a Marxist FARC government in Bogota and the spread of leftist regimes across Latin America. "Your words, your positions, suggest you are not interested in peace in Colombia, but rather in Colombia becoming the victim of a terrorist government of the FARC," Mr Uribe said after Mr Chavez said he was "freezing" relations with Bogota. Mr Chavez earlier said he was putting bilateral ties in a "freezer" after Mr Uribe dropped him and a dialogue facilitator, Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba, from negotiations toward the swap of leftist rebels for high-profile hostages held by guerillas. "We need a mediation with terrorists, and not people who try to lend legitimacy to terrorism," Mr Uribe said. Mr Chavez had said in a speech in Venezuela: "I do not believe anyone in the Colombian Government. They have spat in our face when we worked heart and soul to try to get them on the road to peace." "The companies that Colombians have over here, the companies we have over there - all of that will be damaged," he told his cabinet. Mr Chavez compared the situation to his recent diplomatic row with Spain, which was triggered when the Spanish king, Juan Carlos, told him to "shut up" at a summit meeting in Chile. Attempts to free the hostages have been going on for several years, but the process appeared to take a step forward in August when Mr Chavez volunteered to act as an intermediary between the right-wing Colombian government and the left-wing rebels. Ms Cordoba was approved as a second negotiator. A plan was drawn up for the rebels to hand over 45 hostages in exchange for the release of 500 imprisoned FARC guerillas. But BBC correspondents reported that Mr Uribe, whose own father was killed by the FARC, became increasingly irritated by Mr Chavez's apparent disregard for the proper diplomatic channels. Last week, Mr Chavez revealed that Mr Uribe had told him that he was prepared to meet FARC leader Manuel Marulanda. This further angered the Colombian President, who said the conversation had been confidential. In Bogota, Ms Cordoba said yesterday she was being investigated by her country's Supreme Court for treason. She did not say if the charges were related to her work as mediator or to unrelated allegations. Ms Cordoba came under considerable fire in government circles for meeting secretly with rebel commanders whom the FARC had selected to negotiate the swap of the abductees for the jailed guerillas. Mr Uribe on Wednesday withdrew backing for Mr Chavez and Ms Cordoba to mediate FARC's offer to release the high-profile hostages - including three Americans and French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt - in exchange for the jailed rebels. The conservative Colombian President said he considered Mr Chavez's role over because the Venezuelan leader had ignored his demand not to speak directly with Colombian generals about the hostages. AFP
<<AE3.gif>>
