Good News from Colombia/Venezuela

international | crime and justice | other press Wednesday February 16, 2005 08:54 by [email protected]

Chavez recognizes that FARC are "terrorists"

Colombia and Venezuela promise new initiatives to stop terrorism across their borders.

By FABIOLA SANCHEZ, Associated Press Writer (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela - The presidents of Venezuela and Colombia said Tuesday they have smoothed over a diplomatic dispute that erupted when a Colombian rebel was seized on the streets of Caracas, agreeing to reinstate trade agreements and improve security along their common border.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said after a four-hour meeting with President Alvaro Uribe that the two "decided to turn the page, to clear things up."

Chavez said he was reactivating commercial and trade agreements — including the construction of a gas pipeline connecting the two nations — that had been frozen during the nations' most serious diplomatic dispute in decades.

Rodrigo Granda, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, was snatched off the streets of Caracas by bounty hunters in December and delivered to Colombian police, setting off a diplomatic spat between the two neighbors.

Chavez had declared that Granda's capture violated Venezuela's sovereignty, while Uribe had expressed concerns that Colombian guerrillas have sought refuge in Venezuelan territory.

"We are dedicated to fighting terrorism, in any form," Chavez said after Tuesday's meeting, their first since Granda's capture.

Both presidents say they are concerned about the relative ease with which rebels can come across their 1,400-mile border, which runs through steep mountains, thick jungle and winding rivers. They promised further cooperation in safeguarding the frontier.

Both sides said Cuban leader Fidel Castro (news - web sites)'s government played a role in lowering tension in the dispute.