Venezuela fires on Colombian paramilitaries

national | miscellaneous | news report

Wednesday April 02, 2003 11:07

by ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's military exchanged gunfire with Colombian paramilitaries and bombed a zone close to the border as a warning to the fighters, President Hugo Chavez said Sunday.

Sunday, March 30, 2003 7:51PM EST

Venezuela fires on Colombian paramilitaries

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Venezuela's military exchanged gunfire with Colombian paramilitaries and bombed a zone close to the border as a warning to the fighters, President Hugo Chavez said Sunday.

During his weekly TV program, Chavez said Colombian paramilitaries recently "invaded Venezuelan territory" and fired on an army patrol surveying the border area, hitting their helicopter.

A 90-minute gun battle ensued and the assailants ran back to Colombia.

Chavez also said armed forces recently dropped bombs near where Colombian paramilitaries were hiding.

"I said to bomb the area, not on direct targets but over the adjacent area so as to warn them and establish a security cordon," Chavez said. "We did it, it was effective, and they withdrew toward Colombian territory."

Chavez has been criticized for not doing to enough to defend the 1,370-mile border with Colombia, where a civil war has raged for 38 years, pitting leftist rebels against government troops. In recent years, the right-wing paramilitary fighters have joined the fray against the rebels.

Tensions also have mounted between the two countries over allegations that Venezuela's left-wing government supports Colombian guerrillas.

Comments (3 of 3)

This will be the pretext for another US backed coup

by Terry

Wed Apr 02, 2003 12:10

It is likely the Colombian incursion was encouraged by the US, so that Chavez
would of had to respond. The purpose of course is to provide a pretext for another
coup attempt in Venezuela or possibly even a not so covert invasion.

by Gaillimhed

Wed Apr 02, 2003 17:05

My moneys on the 'not so covert' operation.
Stay tuned....

Meanwhile...

by IMC

Wed Apr 02, 2003 18:57

Colombian police fire tear gas on anti-war protesters who burn tires, U.S. flag
by AP Wed, Apr 2 2003, 9:03am

BOGOTA, Colombia - Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas into a crowd of more than 1,500 demonstrators Thursday who tried to march on the U.S. Embassy in Colombia to protest the war in Iraq (news - web sites). No serious injuries were reported.

Colombian police fire tear gas on anti-war protesters who burn tires, U.S. flag

Thu Mar 27, 3:20 PM ET

By CESAR GARCIA, Associated Press Writer

Bloodied demonstrators were seen being carried away during the melee near the gates of the fortress-like embassy compound in Bogota. Protesters included pupils dressed in blue school uniforms, but most were university students. Some demonstrators hurled rocks and firecrackers at the riot police.

Police arrested at least three demonstrators. Some journalists were caught up in the scuffles. Luis Acosta, a photographer for Agence France-Presse, was shot in the leg by a rubber bullet, but was not seriously hurt.

The protesters carried placards condemning the U.S. war against Iraq and the Colombian government's decision to support the action.

"Yankees, get out of Colombia and all the countries of the world," one of the placards said. Another said: "We are all Palestinians, we are all Iraqis. Gringos, get out of here."

The demonstrators marched from the National University in Bogota to within 150 meters (yards) of the embassy. There, they burned tires, an effigy of U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) and a facsimile of the U.S. flag before the police dispersed them.

The United States has given Colombia more than US$2 billion in mostly military aid in the past three years. Colombia is one of a few dozen countries that has openly supported the United States' decision to invade Iraq.