While all eyes are on Iran and Syria, US action may be in Venezuela with a start of Venezuela-Colombia war from war of words
Balaji Reddy, Special Correspondent
January 23, 2005

While all eyes are on possible American actions in Iran and Syria, the real ball game this time is happening in Venezuela-Colombia area. 

U.S. Secretary of State-designate Condoleezza Rice had harsh words for Venezuela's Government in her recent hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 

Rice's criticism of Chavez came amid an escalating diplomatic confrontation between Colombia and Venezuela over the abduction of a Colombian rebel leader in downtown Caracas on Dec. 13, 2004. 

It is almost Iraq-Kuwait confrontation of 1990. If Venezuela can be made to attack Colombia, all hell will fall lose. 
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Velez has charged the Chavez government with harboring "terrorists" -- leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) -- in Venezuelan territory. U.S. Ambassador to Colombia William Wood has expressed the Bush administration's support for Uribe's government in this dispute and has urged Chavez to "clarify" where Venezuela stands on fighting terrorism. 

Colombia releases names of eight Colombian rebel leaders hiding in Venezuela Colombia has released names of eight rebel leaders allegedly hiding in Venezuela. The list includes leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN). Among those mentioned are chief FARC spokesman Raul Reyes, whose real name is Luis Edgar Devia and senior FARC leader Luciano Marin, alias Ivan Marquez. Reyes and Marquez are two of the seven members that make up the highest-level of the FARC's national command. Other FARC leaders that Colombia claims are hiding in Venezuela include: German Briceno Suarez, alias Grannobles, who is wanted by the United States for murdering three U.S. indigenous activists in 1999; Jesus Emilio Carvajalino, alias Andres Paris; Emiro del Carmen Ropero Suarez, alias Ruben Zamora; Aldo Moscote Fragozo, alias Lucas Iguaran; and Seusis Hernandez, alias Juan Santrich. The ELN's top-ranking leader, Nicolas Rodriguez Bautista, also reportedly is in Venezuela. 


According to Venezuelan Information and Communications Minister Andres Izarra, Venezuela received the list suspected Colombian terrorists operating from Venezuela. Izarra also said Caracas will send Bogota a list of Venezuelan militants hiding in Colombia, starting with Pedro Carmona, the former president of the Fedecamaras national federation of business associations, who was interim president of Venezuela for less than a day in April 2002. Izarra also said several fugitive Venezuelan generals wanted for military rebellion and treason are hiding in Colombia. Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro said the country's armed forces have tightened border controls to prevent the smuggling of gasoline to Colombia and to strictly control the access into Venezuela by people entering overland from Colombia.

According to international think tank Startfor, Colombian police trained by U.S. instructors executed the abduction in Caracas of FARC leader Rodrigo Granda, and it is likely the United States helped to generate some of the intelligence that allowed Granda's location to be pinpointed. U.S. officials might deny this officially, but sources in Bogota and Caracas agree there was some degree of U.S. involvement in Granda's abduction. Should the U.S. government disclose smoking-gun evidence that Chavez has been harboring wanted militants in Venezuela, it could possibly generate some traction regionally against the Venezuelan leader 

Condoleezza Rice

According to Venezuelan Information and Communications Minister Andres Izarra, Venezuela received the list suspected Colombian terrorists operating from Venezuela. Izarra also said Caracas will send Bogota a list of Venezuelan militants hiding in Colombia, starting with Pedro Carmona, the former president of the Fedecamaras national federation of business associations, who was interim president of Venezuela for less than a day in April 2002. Izarra also said several fugitive Venezuelan generals wanted for military rebellion and treason are hiding in Colombia. Venezuelan Defense Minister Gen. Jorge Luis Garcia Carneiro said the country's armed forces have tightened border controls to prevent the smuggling of gasoline to Colombia and to strictly control the access into Venezuela by people entering overland from Colombia.

Colombia releases names of eight Colombian rebel leaders hiding in Venezuela Colombia has released names of eight rebel leaders allegedly hiding in Venezuela. The list includes leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the smaller National Liberation Army (ELN). Among those mentioned are chief FARC spokesman Raul Reyes, whose real name is Luis Edgar Devia and senior FARC leader Luciano Marin, alias Ivan Marquez. Reyes and Marquez are two of the seven members that make up the highest-level of the FARC's national command. Other FARC leaders that Colombia claims are hiding in Venezuela include: German Briceno Suarez, alias Grannobles, who is wanted by the United States for murdering three U.S. indigenous activists in 1999; Jesus Emilio Carvajalino, alias Andres Paris; Emiro del Carmen Ropero Suarez, alias Ruben Zamora; Aldo Moscote Fragozo, alias Lucas Iguaran; and Seusis Hernandez, alias Juan Santrich. The ELN's top-ranking leader, Nicolas Rodriguez Bautista, also reportedly is in Venezuela.