BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombia on Thursday demanded Venezuela hunt down and extradite about 15 rebel chiefs it says have taken refuge across the border at a time when the two governments are caught up in a simmering diplomatic feud.
The remarks will likely fuel tensions between the Andean neighbours, whose two-way trade of $7 billion a year has plummeted after US foe President Hugo Chavez cut Colombian imports and put his troops on alert for possible war.
Colombia has accused Venezuela of failing to deal with guerrillas hiding in its territory as the FARC and ELN Colombian rebel groups come under increasing pressure from President Alvaro Uribe’s US-backed military offensive.
“We have reliable information that close to 15 commanders of different levels, from the national to unit level, an important number of guerrillas, are in Venezuela,” Defense Minister Gabriel Silva told local radio.
Speaking to reporters later, Silva said Venezuela was required under international law to detain guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and the smaller National Liberation Army, or ELN, inside its territory.
“We ask the government, assuming they are of good faith, to collaborate and capture and extradite them,” he said.
Colombia has said Ivan Marquez, one of the FARC’s seven-member leadership secretariat, is in Venezuela. Marquez openly visited Chavez at his presidential palace two years ago during the Venezuelan leader’s attempts to free rebel hostages held in Colombia.
Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez hit back at Silva, dismissing his charges and accusing him of ties to recently captured drug traffickers.
“He is the least qualified person to be attacking us,” the official told reporters.