'Colombia planning to attack Venezuela', warns Chavez
President Hugo Chavez has accused neighbouring Colombia and the US of plotting a military “aggression” against Venezuela.
“I accuse the government of Colombia of devising a conspiracy, acting as a pawn of the US empire, of devising a military provocation against Venezuela,” the left-wing leader said.
“A military aggression is being prepared from Colombia against Venezuela, and it’s the US,” he added, saying that Washington aims to “oblige us to respond, and later a war could be set off”.
He cited intelligence reports but did not offer evidence to support his claim, warning Colombia not to attempt a “provocation” and said Venezuela would cut off all oil exports in the event of a military strike from the neighbouring country.
“In that scenario, write it down: The price of oil would reach 300 dollars (£150), because there wouldn’t be oil for anyone,” Mr Chavez said. “The invaders would have to step over our dead bodies.”
Chavez has repeatedly accused Washington of plotting to oust or kill him, though yesterday marked the first time he had accused Colombia’s US-allied government in such strident terms. US officials have repeatedly denied such allegations.
He spoke as US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice visited Colombia, saying that she and two other senior American officials who were in Bogota recently “came to attack Venezuela” with their remarks. Ms Rice did not mention Chavez during her earlier public statements in Colombia.
Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, spokesman for Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, said his government had no immediate comment.
Venezuela and Colombia have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since November, when Mr Uribe said Mr Chavez was no longer welcome to continue mediating a hostages-for-prisoners swap with Colombia’s left-wing rebels.
Mr Uribe accused Mr Chavez of overstepping his authority by directly contacting Colombia’s army chief and Mr Chavez responded by freezing contacts with Mr Uribe and recalling Venezuela’s ambassador in Bogota for consultations. The ambassador has yet to return.
Mr Chavez has maintained contact with the rebels, and earlier this month the largest guerrilla group freed two Colombian women held captive for years to Venezuelan officials.
Colombia’s government reacted with outrage when Mr Chavez later urged world leaders to stop classifying the rebels as terrorists.
Yesterday Mr Chavez predicted that relations with Colombia, which he and Mr Uribe once kept cordial, “are going to continue deteriorating” and that cross-border trade will suffer.
The tensions have been heightened by Colombian allegations that Mr Chavez’s government gives refuge to rebels – which Mr Chavez denies.
The Venezuelan leader urged Mr Uribe “to tie up his madmen, because he has some madmen loose (in his administration) and he’s the one who is responsible”.
He spoke at a news conference with Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega, who offered his own barbs against the US, saying he had blocked an alleged plan by American counter-drug officials to set up “a system of telephone spying” in his country.
Mr Chavez said the US and Colombian governments “don’t want peace in Colombia because it’s the perfect excuse to have thousands of soldiers there, the CIA, military bases, spy planes and who knows what other trash operations against Venezuela”.
