Western Hemisphere
The government of President Álvaro Uribe asked Spain to explore "mechanisms to verify and monitor the situation" on the border with Venezuela, where tension has arisen over the last few days, the Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs said Friday in a statement.

Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermúdez contacted his Spanish counterpart Miguel Angel Moratinos to make the request, the official communiqué said, as reported by AFP.

Last September, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero had offered to mediate in the diplomatic crisis between Colombia and Venezuela. However, the Colombian Head of State rejected the Spanish offer. Uribe alleged then that the communication channels with Caracas remained open.