Small farmers in a rural area of the north-eastern Colombian province of Norte de Santander denounced a raid by armed police from neighboring Venezuela, saying the officers fired several shots in the air. "They entered firing shots into the air, passing alongside some houses and a small school with children," Jose Jesus Rendon, a peasant leader in San Faustino, a hamlet some 600 meters (2,000 feet) from the border with Venezuela, told Caracol Radio on Wednesday.
Tuesday's incident sparked panic among local inhabitants, Rendon said, adding that the Venezuelans returned to their side of the border after a discussion with police in San Faustino.
Several violent incidents have occurred along the border since Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez froze relations with Colombia almost one year ago. This latest episode comes amid a new bilateral spat sparked by Bogota's allegations that Venezuela is tolerating the presence of Colombian guerrilla leaders in its territory, evidence of which is to be presented to the Organization of American States on Thursday.
Chavez has reacted to that accusation by recalling Venezuela's ambassador to Colombia for consultations, announcing that he will not attend the August 7 inauguration of Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos and warning of a complete severing of bilateral relations. Relations between Colombia, the United States' closest ally in Latin America, and leftist-led Venezuela have soured on several occasions in recent years.
http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=94636
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
