Yesterday's welcome news of the demise of Raul Reyes, one of the leaders of Colombia's brutal marxist rebel group FARC, is followed by this today:
President Hugo Chavez ordered Venezuela's embassy in Colombia closed and told the military to send 10 battalions to the border after Colombian troops killed a top rebel leader.Chavez told his defense minister: "move 10 battalions for me to the border with Colombia, immediately." He ordered the Venezuelan Embassy in Bogota closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.
Also, the BBC reports -
He said Colombia "invaded Ecuador, flagrantly violated Ecuador's sovereignty".Mr Chavez addressed his defence minister, asking him to "move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately" - a deployment likely to involve several thousand soldiers.
He ordered the Venezuelan embassy in Bogota closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.
Mr Chavez had earlier warned Bogota that any incursion into Venezuelan territory similar to Saturday's operation would be a "cause for war".
-meaning perhaps a safe haven in Venezuela for Colombian rebels? Ah, more official than before now, anyway? More BBC-
But he lamented the killing of Reyes - whom he called a "good revolutionary" - and at least 16 other Farc rebels when he spoke on his show, "Alo, President".
In this case, Mr. Chavez, you are judged by the murderous company you keep.
Posted by Walter at March 2, 2008 01:31 PM