[news] Fears of war between Colombia and Venezuela

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Fears of war between Colombia and Venezuela

Colombian opposition leaders allege that the Uribe government is preparing
another military agression against Venezuela. Paramilitaries aided by the
Colombian Army have several times attacked targets in Venezuela. The White
House is accused of wanting to exploit an armed confrontation between the
two countries to gain control of Venezuelan oil.

16.04.2004 (By Jhony Corto, ANNCOL)  In a declaration sent to ANNCOL various
Colombian political and social leaders denounce alleged plans by the extreme
right wing government of President Alvaro Uribe to attack the neighboring
country. According to the signers of the declaration, the decoration in
Bogota this Wednesday of Cuban born US congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balar is
part of a campaign to provoke a war between  Colombia and Venezuela.



Diaz-Balar is accused of having organized terrorist attacks against the
Cuban government and is one of those promoting a military intervention to
topple the government of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.



The leaders declare that "the event seeks to convert Colombia into a
political and military base for aggression against the legitimate
governments of the region and against president Hugo Chavez in particular.
It constitutes a strategy that is not in the interest of the Colombian
people but of the United States, which seeks to create conflicts and wars
between  sister peoples,  in the service of petroleum and geopolitical
interests."



Among those signing the declaration appear Gustavo Petro, member of the
House of Representatives for the PDI alliance; Hernando Cardona of the
Committee of Support and Solidarity with the Bolivarian Process, Luis
Fernando Escobar of peace group Planeta Paz, and Ernesto Amezquita of the
Colombian-Venezuelan  Association for Peace.



Last week Gloria Gaitan, daughter of the Colombian Liberal Party leader
Eliecer Gaitan, who was assassinated by the CIA in 1948, sought political
asylum in Venezuela. On the Venezuelan  government TV-channel  VTV Gloria
Gaitan denounced that Bogota is preparing an invasion of Venezuela, by way
of the Venezuelan state of Zulia.



Gaitan also warned that the Uribe government is trying to buy about 40
AMX-30 battle tanks in Spain.



During 2003 paramilitaries supported by the Colombian Army several time
penetrated Venezuela territory, assassinating peasant leaders and activists
of President Chavez' political movement. They also confronted the Venezuela
Army on several occasions. Bogota has accused Chavez of sympathizing with
Colombian guerillas.
http://www.anncol.org