WikiLeaks: Colombia’s Uribe Authorized “Clandestine Cross Border Operations” into Venezuela

[Judi Lynn]

WikiLeaks: Colombia’s Uribe Authorized “Clandestine Cross Border Operations” into Venezuela
Written by Venezuelanalysis.com
Tuesday, 01 March 2011 21:41

According to a confidential U.S. diplomatic cable released last Wednesday, Ex-Colombian President Álvaro Uribe knowingly maintained a “hypocritical” relationship with neighboring Venezuela during his time in office – ordering armed operations within Venezuelan territory while at the same time seeking to diplomatically “manage” Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. The cables, made available by Wikileaks, were published by Colombia’s daily El Espectador.

Yesterday, El Espectador reported that the strategy of the Uribe administration (2002-2010), as understood by U.S. diplomats based in Colombia, was to “manage Chávez as opposed to confront him” while taking “advantage of the porous border” between the Andean nations to “conduct operations against narcotraffickers and terrorists (in Venezuela) when required.”

Colombia’s two largest armed guerrilla organizations, the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN), are classified by both the Colombian Government and U.S. State Department as “terrorist” organizations.

According to the confidential cable written in 2006 by then U.S. ambassador to Colombia William Wood, Uribe worked “to maintain a positive bilateral atmosphere, using joint energy projects and trade to create incentives to moderate Chávez’s behavior.”

More:
http://upsidedownworld.org/main/news-briefs-archives-68/2932-wikileaks-colombias-uribe-authorized-clandestine-cross-border-operations-into-venezuela