US Backs Investigation of Alleged FARC Presence in Venezuela

July 26, 2010 06:48


The United States is giving strong backing for Colombia’s call for an international investigation of FARC activities in Venezuela, and says the government in Caracas has an obligation to cooperate. The comments follow what was termed here a “fact-based” Colombian presentation to the Organization of American States (OAS) Thursday about the alleged presence of some 1,500 FARC guerrillas on Venezuelan soil.

David Gollust at VOANews.com


The United States Friday endorsed Colombia’s call for an international panel to examine its charges that left-wing Colombian FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrillas are operating from Venezuelan territory. The State Department called Venezuela’s decision to break relations over Colombia’s allegations “petulant.”

The United States is giving strong backing for Colombia’s call for an international investigation of FARC activities in Venezuela, and says the government in Caracas has an obligation to cooperate.

The comments follow what was termed here a “fact-based” Colombian presentation to the Organization of American States (OAS) Thursday about the alleged presence of some 1,500 FARC guerrillas on Venezuelan soil.

Venezuela, which said there is no evidence of FARC bases on its territory, severed diplomatic relations with its neighbor hours after the OAS proceeding.

The United States has for a decade provided large-scale aid to Colombia to support its struggle against insurgents,  drug traffickers and far-right paramilitaries.

At a news briefing, State Department Spokesman P.J. Crowley said the Colombian charges need to be taken seriously and that Venezuela, as a member of the inter-American system, has a “clear responsibility” to fight terrorism.

He said the break in relations announced by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was hardly a constructive way to respond. “It’s an unfortunate response. It was a petulant response by Venezuela to cut off relations with Colombia. We would hope for a more constructive response by Venezuela to this meeting yesterday. But obviously if Venezuela fails to cooperate in whatever follow-on steps are made, the United States and other countries will obviously take account of that,” he said.

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