By Jose Orozco and Matthew Walter
May 11 (Bloomberg) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Colombia is trying to undermine his government with accusations that he has supported Colombia's biggest guerrilla group, which he said could lead to a war.
Interpol, the biggest international police organization, is expected to make a ruling this week on the authenticity of computer files recovered from a camp of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which the U.S. and Colombia say contain evidence that Chavez is collaborating with the rebels.
Chavez said the U.S. and Colombia are pressuring Interpol to back them up as part of a plan to destabilize his socialist government. The accusations renew tensions between neighboring Colombia and Venezuela two months after a Colombian military raid on guerrillas hiding in Ecuador, a Venezuelan ally, prompted Chavez to send troops to guard the border. Chavez later called his troops back.
``The Colombian government is capable of provoking a war with Venezuela to try to justify U.S. intervention,'' Chavez said today during his weekly television program ``Alo Presidente.''
The Wall Street Journal reported May 9 that the files showed that Chavez sought guerrilla warfare training from the FARC, as the rebel group is known, and may have offered to supply them with rockets, citing unnamed senior U.S. intelligence officials. The findings may increase pressure for the U.S. to put Venezuela on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, the Journal reported.
``Now they're preparing a show with Interpol,'' he said. ``Fundamentally you'd like to improve relations with the Colombian government, but how can you like this?''
To contact the reporter on this story: Jose Orozco in Caracas at jorozco8@bloomberg.net; Matthew Walter in Caracas at mwalter4@bloomberg.net.
Last Updated: May 11, 2008 19:05 EDT
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