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Chavez moves tanks to border as dispute with pro-US Colombian president deepens

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Published Date: 03 March 2008
VENEZUELA'S president, Hugo Chavez, ordered tank battalions to the Colombian border and mobilised warplanes yesterday after Colombian troops made a strike against rebels in neighbouring Ecuador.
Mr Chavez told his defence minister: "Move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia." He ordered the Venezuelan embassy in Bogota closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.

The announcements pushed relations to their tensest point of his nine-year presidency, and Mr Chavez warned that Colombia could spark a war in South America.

He called the US-allied government in Bogota "a terrorist state" and labelled President Alvaro Uribe "a criminal."

Mr Chavez condemned Colombia's killing of a senior rebel commander, Raul Reyes, and 16 other guerrillas on Saturday, saying they were killed while they slept in a camp in Ecuadorean territory.

He said Colombia "flagrantly violated Ecuador's sovereignty".

"It wasn't any combat. It was a cowardly murder, " Mr Chavez said on his weekly TV and radio programme. "We pay tribute to a true revolutionary, who was Raul Reyes," he added, recalling that he had met the rebel in Brazil in 1995. He called him a "good revolutionary".





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  • Last Updated: 03 March 2008 12:19 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Venezuela
 
1

oder,

Scotland 03/03/2008 12:56:54
Chavez! the new and up comming Saddam.
2

Newman!,

03/03/2008 13:19:44
1 Oder, 1st learn how to spell then go learn something about the history of South America.
3

oder,

Scotland 03/03/2008 15:29:30
2 Newman!,03/03/2008

feel free to give me some enlightenment!
4

bill-alba,

fife 03/03/2008 15:38:01
Murdered while they slept..is that no a tactic usually employed by a campbell.
5

John Blackley,

Winter Garden, FL 03/03/2008 16:04:16
I was wondering how Hugo was going to divert attention from his problems at home. Now I know. He's going to start a war.

Nice. The Bush model.
6

ThePeter,

Glasgae 03/03/2008 20:05:34
Seem to remember that Adolf hitler used these kind of excuses ro invade Poland.
Come on you "trendy lefties", where are your posts supporting your hero Chavez now?
7

SouthernGent,

04/03/2008 04:05:44
"Chavez moves tanks to border as dispute with pro-US Colombian president deepens"

Interesting how the Scotsman has to include "US" in this headline. The 2 countries don't like each other. There also is evidence emerging that shows Chavez has been financing FARC. I guess the Scotsman is trying to stir the pot.
8

britfree,

camelon 04/03/2008 15:09:07
dear commandante, we salute your courage and indefatigability . continue if you please, to stand up to the yanqi satan . and we shall support you against their evil plots forever
9

britfree,

camelon 04/03/2008 17:02:02
great news from the U N , china and russia have scuppered the amerikkkan plot against the islamic republic , dont ya just love it when the shermans get a bloody nose

 

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