EL UNIVERSAL

"To counter the influence of an anti-US Venezuelan government," US President George W. Bush advised US Congress to endorse a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Colombia. However, his motion is rejected by most Democratic Party members.

Colombian President Álvaro Uribe "is facing continued affront from the terrorist group called (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) FARC," said Bush. In his opinion, the Colombian government faces also the influence of an "anti-US neighbor, such as Venezuela," Efe reported.

"In the middle of the fight (against FARC) Uribe has been faced with the setback of the lack of cooperation from Venezuela -a country whose soil has become a safe heaven for FARC units," said Bush.

If the ties between Chávez's government and FARC are proven true, the US administration could include Venezuela in the list of countries sponsor of terrorism, which comprises Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria.

In a report issued by the US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, staff member for Latin America Carl Meacham -who visited several countries in Latin America before presenting his final conclusions- suggested US lawmakers to act cautiously to avoid imposing sanctions that may isolate the United States from Latin America, particularly in the areas of trade and cooperation.   

Meacham, an aide to Senator Richard Lugar, who is the ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warned that imposing sanctions against Venezuela without the support of regional bodies such as the Organization of American States (OAS) could be counter-productive.

US actions would be "stronger if they rest on the foundation of regional support," the document claimed. "The USG has to act with care that other Latin American countries do not see themselves labeled unnecessarily and provocatively as supporters of terror, or the surrogates of terrorists, simply because they are carrying out their perceived national interest in maintaining relations with Venezuela."

The report was submitted to all the US Congress Senators and leaders of the House of Representatives. It comprises a more moderate approach on how the US government should respond to the findings of an Interpol investigation into the computers confiscated after the attack against rebel FARC in Ecuador.

Translated by Karina Gómez Pernas