I: Venezuela's Chavez Denounces U.S.-Backed Colombian Military Offensive

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg@tin.it>]

 >Venezuela's Chavez urges Colombia to revise anti-drug
 >strategy
 >2.24 a.m. ET (739 GMT) December 8, 2000
 >By Fabiola Sanchez, Associated Press
 >
 >
 >CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A U.S.-backed anti-drug
 >offensive in Colombia will ruin any chance for peace
 >in that country, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said
 >while urging Colombia to "reflect'' on its strategy.
 >
 >"Does anyone think that negotiations for peace will be
 >strengthened with more weapons, armed men and
 >munitions?'' said Chavez, an outspoken leftist
 >president who has ruffled U.S. feathers since taking
 >office last year. His comments Thursday stepped up
 >criticism he claims has made him the target of a
 >campaign to link him with leftist rebels and
 >dissidents in several countries.
 >
 >Washington is slated to contribute $1.3 billion to
 >Colombia's anti-drug plan, which calls for
 >U.S.-trained troops using U.S.-made helicopters to
 >wrest away rebel-held areas producing cocaine and
 >heroin.
 >
 >Chavez says the plan will force rebels, refugees and
 >drug traffickers into neighboring countries, including
 >his own. He suggested one way to end Colombia's
 >36-year conflict would be to recognize its leading
 >leftist rebel groups as political parties.
 >
 >Chavez has allowed Colombian rebel leaders to travel
 >and meet in Venezuela. Colombia recently recalled its
 >ambassador for several days to protest.
 >
 >But Chavez said his government does not sustain
 >relations with the rebels. During a three-hour press
 >conference, he claimed the foreign media are involved
 >in a smear campaign to connect him to the Colombian
 >guerrillas and dissidents elsewhere in South America.
 >He accused news outlets with "connections in
 >Washington and Miami'' of demonizing him because he
 >opposes the military component of Plan Colombia.
 >
 >Recent news reports in Colombia and the United States
 >have accused Chavez of having contacts with
 >separatists in Bolivia and supporting rebellious army
 >officers in Ecuador.
 >
 >The president singled out the Colombian magazine
 >Semana, which reported that a cache of Venezuelan arms
 >was found recently in the hands of rebels and that
 >Venezuelan officers visit the guerrillas inside
 >Colombia. He said no Venezuelan weapons have gone to
 >the rebels since he took office.
 >
 >Chavez also denied a report by The Miami Herald that
 >he met with Bolivian rebel Felipe Quispe in August —
 >shortly before separatist violence in Bolivia — and
 >that he gave financial support to Ecuadorean military
 >officers who staged a coup in January.
 >
 >In the Herald report, Peter Romero, the State
 >Department officer in charge of Latin America, was
 >quoted as saying there were "indications of Chavez's
 >government support for violent indigenous groups in
 >Bolivia. In the case of Ecuador, it included support
 >for rebellious army officers.''
 >
 >Chavez said he had asked U.S. Ambassador Donna Hrinak
 >to determine whether the comments attributed to Romero
 >represented official U.S. policy. He called Romero an
 >"international agitator'' and said he hopes the next
 >administration in Washington "rectifies these things
 >and doesn't have agitators, professional liars ... as
 >high officials.''
 >
 >Bolivian President Hugo Banzer recently approached
 >Chavez to express "his concern about Chavez's
 >intrusion in the internal affairs of the country,''
 >Bolivian Minister of the Presidency Walter Guiteras
 >said.
 >
 >But rebel leader Quispe denied any contact with or
 >support from Chavez. And former Ecuadorean Col. Lucio
 >Gutierrez, who led the coup that helped topple former
 >President Jamil Mahuad in January, said he admired
 >Chavez but has never met with him or received
 >financial support.