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Venezuela 'sends tanks to border' Venezuela 'sends tanks to border'
(30 minutes later)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered his military to move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia, after Bogota killed a leading rebel. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has ordered his military to send troops and tanks to the border with Colombia, after Bogota killed a leading rebel.
Speaking on his weekly television show, President Chavez said the country's embassy in Colombia would also close. Speaking on his weekly television show, President Chavez also said Venezuela's embassy in Colombia would close.
Mr Chavez said Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was a "criminal".Mr Chavez said Colombian President Alvaro Uribe was a "criminal".
He said the killing of Raul Reyes, a top commander of the leftwing Farc rebels, just inside Ecuador on Saturday was a "cowardly murder". He said the killing of Raul Reyes, a top commander of the left-wing Farc rebels, just inside Ecuador on Saturday was a "cowardly murder".
Mr Chavez has been mediating with Farc to secure the release of hostages the rebels hold. Mr Chavez has been mediating with Farc to secure the release of hostages the rebels hold, and six have so far been freed under this initiative.
But he lamented the killing of Reyes and at least 16 other Farc rebels when he spoke on his show, "Alo, President". But he lamented the killing of Reyes - whom he called a "good revolutionary" - and at least 16 other Farc rebels when he spoke on his show, "Alo, President".
'Invasion'
"It wasn't any combat. It was a cowardly murder, all of it coldly calculated," Mr Chavez said."It wasn't any combat. It was a cowardly murder, all of it coldly calculated," Mr Chavez said.
Mr Chavez had earlier warned Bogota that any similar incursion into Venezuelan territory would be a "cause for war". Reyes was Farc's first secretariat member to be killed in combat
The incursion has also been condemned as "scandalous" by Ecuador's President Rafael Correa He said Colombia "invaded Ecuador, flagrantly violated Ecuador's sovereignty".
Mr Chavez addressed his defence minister, asking him to "move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately" - a deployment likely to involve several thousand soldiers.
He ordered the Venezuelan embassy in Bogota closed and said all embassy personnel would be withdrawn.
Mr Chavez had earlier warned Bogota that any incursion into Venezuelan territory similar to Saturday's operation would be a "cause for war".
Ecuador's President Rafael Correa has also protested to Bogota about its incursion, calling it "scandalous".