Venezuela's Chavez Closes Embassy In Ecuador, Sends Troops To Border

Linda Young - AHN Editor

Caracas, Venezuela (AHN) - Venezuela President Hugo Chavez has ordered his country's embassy in Columbia closed and sent troops to the border in an apparent reaction to an operation by Columbia in Ecuador that resulted in the killing of a top rebel leader. Chavez had said that Columbia violated Ecuador's sovereignty and warned that if it pursued FARC rebels in Venezuela that he would consider it an act of war, according to reports.

Columbian forces reportedly killed the second-in-command of the FARC, which is a Spanish acronym for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

It was a joint operation between Colombian air forces that attacked a FARC camp from the Colombian side and Colombia's national police. It resulted in the death of Luis Edgar Devia Silva, known as "Raul Reyes," along with 16 others.

But Chavez reportedly condemned the operation, saying it was murder not combat because the men were killed while they slept in their camp in Ecuador.

Mottaki: Nations no longer accept US ambitions

Tehran, March 2, IRNA

Iran-US-Mottaki
Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here Sunday that nations are no longer willing to tolerate the US adventurism and ambitions.

"The US ambition is not something new. They (Americans) think they have interests in the four corners of the world and other countries are duty-bound to secure their interests. The reality is that such an attitude and conduct have shaken the US position worldwide and nations no longer accept the US ambitions,"

said Mottaki in a meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's special envoy Ali Rodriguez here on Sunday.

Mottaki said Iran-Venezuela "friendly and growing" relations are in favor of both the Iranian and Venezuelan nations and their presidents want expansion of mutual ties at the highest level.

Rodriguez said, for his part, that conclusion of accords and contracts between the two sides have opened new horizons to mutual ties.