Venezuela Puts Relations with Colombia “In the Freezer”

Chavez says he is putting relations with Colombia "in the freezer" (VTV)

Caracas, November 26, 2007 (venezuelanalysis.com) - "I declare to the world that I am putting relations with Colombia in the freezer, because I have lost all trust in the Colombian government," Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced Sunday after Colombian President Alvaro Uribe launched a verbal attack on Chavez after calling off all negotiations for a humanitarian exchange of 45 high-profile hostages held by insurgent guerillas, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

On Wednesday Uribe had terminated the mediation efforts of Chavez and Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba, who had been working to secure the release of the hostages since Uribe approved their mediating roles on August 31, citing telephone conversation between Chavez and Colombian General Mario Montoya of less than one minute as a "violation" of Colombian sovereignty. Uribe's announcement came only hours after U.S. Ambassador William Brownfield slammed the negotiations.

Senator Cordoba, who was handpicked by Uribe to lead negotiations with the FARC, has also confirmed that she is now under investigation by the Colombian Supreme Court for the crimes of "treason against the homeland," and "collusion."

Speaking on Venezuelan political commentary program, La Hojilla ("The Razorblade") on Friday evening, Chavez had said the Colombian government used a "silly thing as an excuse" to terminate the mediation. He also denied Uribe's version of a conversation between the two presidents at the Ibero - American summit in Chile, where Uribe alleged he had prohibited Chavez from speaking with Colombian military personal and accused Uribe of showing a lack of respect for failing to telephone him before he made the announcement.

"They spit brutally in our face when we worked heart and soul to try to get them on the road to peace," Chavez added.

Uribe, whose government is engulfed in a "parapolitics" scandal, linking many of his political supporters and family members to drug-trafficking paramilitary death squads, then attacked Chavez on Sunday accusing him of having an "expansionist project" and "setting fire to the continent."

Uribe also accused Chavez of aiming to install a "terrorist FARC government," in Colombia. "We need mediation with terrorists and not people who try to lend legitimacy to terrorism," he said.

However, husband of French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt, held by the FARC since 2002, Juan Carlos Lecompte, lauded the "civilized" approach of Chavez and Cordoba during their three month mediation effort to achieve an humanitarian exchange. "President Uribe wants to resolve the problem with violence, with the use of arms, with the use of bullets, without giving importance to the lives of the hostages," he said

Lecompte also argued that every time institutions such as the Red Cross, the Catholic Church, or other countries or persons have attempted to mediate between the Colombian government and the guerillas to achieve a humanitarian accord, Uribe has "systematically blocked" these efforts.

Chavez said he felt particularly sad for the families of the hostages and ridiculed Uribe's claims, saying, "His mask has fallen. He uses the same discourse of the United States, of imperialism, that is repeated by the right wing of Latin America."

He also said he had his doubts about the Colombian High Commissioner for Peace, Luis Restrepo who he called the "High Commissioner for War."

"We made efforts, but I believe that the government of Colombia does not want peace. Now I am convinced by the kick that they gave the [negotiating] table to avoid peace."

Chavez also pointed out that "Uribe lied in the communiqué, when he claimed that Colombia has never violated Venezuelan sovereignty," referring to the covert action in 2004 during which Colombian military operatives illegally entered Venezuelan territory and kidnapped Rodrigo Granda, a FARC leader also illegally in Venezuela.

Fighting between the FARC guerillas and Colombian military has also often spilt over the border into Venezuelan territory and the rightwing Colombian paramilitary group, the Auto-Defense Units of Colombia, is known to operate in some Venezuelan frontier states.

"I hope that the conflicts do not increase, because there are millions of Colombians in Venezuela that we have given dual nationality, that are integrated with us," Chavez continued, however he assured, " the majority are Bolivarians."

An estimated two million Colombians live in Venezuela, many of them refugees from the 40 year civil war in their home country.

"We want unity and peace with Colombia - the grand dream of Bolivar and Miranda," Chavez affirmed.

"Colombia deserves a better president, because they are a dignified people, like the Venezuelan people," he added.

Venezuela is considering closing its embassy in Bogotá, however, while Chavez said it is possible that diplomatic relations could return to normal, "There is no reconciliation."

Chavez also said later in a television interview on Sunday that he was ruling out any return to the Andean Community of Nations. Venezuela had been considering rejoining the CAN after it withdrew last year to protest Peru and Colombia's decision to enter into bilateral free trade agreements with the United States.

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