EL UNIVERSAL

Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro denied claims that President Hugo Chávez's government is supporting the Colombian guerrilla groups, stressing that the contacts Venezuela made with rebel organizations were authorized by the Colombian administration.
 
"There will never, never be any proof showing that we have implemented policies of co-existence with or support to any of the Colombian guerrilla groups. This is so much so that every time President Chávez has contacted the guerrilla he has done so at the request and with authorization of the government of (former President) Andrés Pastrana and the government of (President) Álvaro Uribe strictly," Maduro told Colombian daily newspaper El País.

The Venezuelan diplomat added that "the process intended to release the hostages has taken place because President Chávez was asked to play a role as mediator. And all of the releases so far and the likely future releases have been authorized in written by Uribe's government."
 
Further, Maduro asked the Colombian news media "to stop a campaign" against the Venezuelan and Ecuadorian governments.

Additionally, in his weekly television show, journalist and ex Venezuelan Executive Vice-President and ex Foreign Minister José Vicente Rangel also dealt with the Colombian issue.

Quoting political sources in Bogota, Rangel argued that "a serious clash between President Álvaro Uribe and his Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos occurred after the attack against Ecuadorian territory." Rangel underscored that intelligence agencies attached to the Colombian   presidency advised Uribe that Santos authorized the participation of paramilitary troops in recent operations against the guerrilla and the diversion of public funds.

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.