Hugo Chavez Says Colombia (and U.S.) Trying to Provoke War

Mon12May2008

Hugo Chavez Says Colombia (and U.S.) Trying to Provoke War

13:19 H | Topics: Colombia - Politics - Venezuela

Yesterday Hugo Chavez accused Colombia (and the U.S.) of provoking a war by pushing Interpol to back up the position that Venezuela's government has supported the FARC.

"El gobierno de Colombia es capaz, así lo digo, es capaz de provocar una guerra con Venezuela para tratar de justificar la intervención de los Estados Unidos en Venezuela", expresó el mandatario, en su habitual mensaje dominical.

Currently Interpol is determining if computer files recovered from a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia prove that Venezuela is supporting the guerrilla organization, as the U.S. and Colombia claim.

The Wall Street Journal reported May 9 that the files showed that Chavez sought guerrilla warfare training from the FARC, as the rebel group is known, and may have offered to supply them with rockets, citing unnamed senior U.S. intelligence officials. The findings may increase pressure for the U.S. to put Venezuela on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Journal reported.

Hugo Chavez, during yesterday's radio address, demanded that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe prove the relationship between his government and the FARC besides the "stupid documents", referring to the computer files under investigation.

The computer files were recovered when FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed and a war almost began among Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.

Some are interpreting Chavez speaking out as a preemptive strike because Interpol will support Uribe's claims on the authenticity of the files.

Via / BBC and Bloomberg