Pubdate: Mon, 11 Sep 2000
Source: Washington Times (DC)
Copyright: 2000 News World Communications, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.washtimes.com/
Author: Carlos Coello, Tiempos Del Mundo

DRUG FIGHT WORRIES COLOMBIA NEIGHBOR

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela and Colombia are squabbling over fears that 
President Clinton's $1.3 billion aid package to help fight drug trafficking 
in Colombia will escalate military activities and destabilize the region.

President Hugo Chavez has said an encounter between American soldiers and 
Colombian guerrillas could lead to a "Vietnamization" of the conflict, with 
repercussions for the entire region.

Mr. Chavez harped on that theme during Mr. Clinton's visit to Colombia at 
the end of last month and before his visit to a summit attended by South 
America's 12 presidents in Brasilia.

Both Mr. Clinton and his Colombian counterpart, Andres Pastrana, dismissed 
any suggestion that the aid package would widen the war. But Mr. Chavez 
repeated in Brasilia that, "it would be very dangerous if the operation 
fuels an increase of military activity. This could lead us to a 
Vietnamization of the entire Amazonic region."

Mr. Chavez added: "Some sectors of Colombia and other places may think that 
the conflict in this brother state has a military solution. This is wrong. 
The only solution is through peace."

Venezuela's minister of foreign affairs, Jose Vicente Rangel, also took up 
the theme, saying a wider war in Colombia could drive refugees across the 
border into Venezuela. The countries share a border of more than 1,250 
miles, and thousands of Colombians work in Venezuela.

"An intensification of the Colombian conflict, as a result of the increase 
of military [activity], could signal a mass movement of the Colombia 
population to different neighboring countries," Mr. Rangel said.

Colombian Foreign Minister Guillermo Fernandez objected to the remarks, 
saying no other country had the right to stigmatize Colombia's accord with 
the United States. "It's a lack of respect for Colombia, which is not 
acceptable from anybody," he said.

Diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela have been troubled 
since Mr. Chavez became president in February 1999. Both the Colombian 
government and Venezuela's opposition see many positions taken by the 
leftist Mr. Chavez as supportive of the Colombian rebels.

Retired Gen. Fernando Ochoa, who supports Mr. Chavez, said Venezuela itself 
has faced repeated attacks by Colombian guerrillas.

Colombian rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and 
the National Liberation Army (ELN) have killed numerous Venezuelan 
civilians and military officers, kidnapped hundreds of people and damaged 
businesses along the border.

Venezuelan media were preoccupied with the situation in Colombia in the 
days before Mr. Clinton's visit to Cartagena, Colombia.

Almost all said the visit had strengthened Mr. Pastrana's position, making 
it more likely that the guerrillas would be forced to enter serious peace 
negotiations.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens