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| Uribe and Chavez try to heal rift | Uribe and Chavez try to heal rift |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The presidents of Venezuela and Colombia are to meet in an effort to put aside differences that have embittered ties between the neighbours. | |
| Colombia's Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez have exchanged insults and accusations over the past eight months, and even put troops on a war footing. | Colombia's Alvaro Uribe and Venezuela's Hugo Chavez have exchanged insults and accusations over the past eight months, and even put troops on a war footing. |
| Analysts say improving links will be of political and economic benefit to both. | Analysts say improving links will be of political and economic benefit to both. |
| Relations hit the lowest point in years in March when Colombia attacked a Farc base in Ecuador, Venezuela's ally. | Relations hit the lowest point in years in March when Colombia attacked a Farc base in Ecuador, Venezuela's ally. |
| Bogota has accused President Chavez of funding the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which lost a senior leader in the raid. | Bogota has accused President Chavez of funding the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which lost a senior leader in the raid. |
| Mr Chavez, who has called for the group to be taken off international lists of terrorist organisations, denies the claims, saying any contact was related to negotiations to secure the release of hostages it was holding. | Mr Chavez, who has called for the group to be taken off international lists of terrorist organisations, denies the claims, saying any contact was related to negotiations to secure the release of hostages it was holding. |
| Mr Uribe is not expected to mention the Farc during the talks in Venezuela on Friday. | Mr Uribe is not expected to mention the Farc during the talks in Venezuela on Friday. |
| We said some harsh things, [but] between brothers these things happen Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez | We said some harsh things, [but] between brothers these things happen Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez |
| There is no love lost between the two leaders, who sit at opposite ends of the political spectrum - Mr Uribe is a staunch ally of US President George W Bush, who Mr Chavez calls the Devil. | There is no love lost between the two leaders, who sit at opposite ends of the political spectrum - Mr Uribe is a staunch ally of US President George W Bush, who Mr Chavez calls the Devil. |
| But Mr Chavez said last week that Mr Uribe would be received as a "brother and as a friend". | But Mr Chavez said last week that Mr Uribe would be received as a "brother and as a friend". |
| "We are not going to make war with Colombia," he said. "We said some harsh things, [but] between brothers these things happen. It happened and hopefully that's it." | "We are not going to make war with Colombia," he said. "We said some harsh things, [but] between brothers these things happen. It happened and hopefully that's it." |
| Mr Uribe was similarly conciliatory, saying he would aim to extend links with the Venezuelan people. | Mr Uribe was similarly conciliatory, saying he would aim to extend links with the Venezuelan people. |
| Economic clouds | Economic clouds |
| The BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Medellin says the truth is that the two neighbours are economically interdependent and need to get along for their political and economic health. | The BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Medellin says the truth is that the two neighbours are economically interdependent and need to get along for their political and economic health. |
| Mr Chavez's open support for the Farc was not popular at home and he wants his supporters to do well in November's elections for the National Assembly, our correspondent says. | Mr Chavez's open support for the Farc was not popular at home and he wants his supporters to do well in November's elections for the National Assembly, our correspondent says. |
| Mr Uribe is still basking in international praise since the Colombian army freed former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other important hostages from the guerrillas this month, he adds. | Mr Uribe is still basking in international praise since the Colombian army freed former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other important hostages from the guerrillas this month, he adds. |
| There are also economic clouds on his horizon with the Colombian economy showing signs of slowing down and inflation creeping up. | There are also economic clouds on his horizon with the Colombian economy showing signs of slowing down and inflation creeping up. |
| Our correspondent says both need the $5bn (£2.51bn) worth of trade a year to hold steady or better still increase and that will only happen if relations improve. | Our correspondent says both need the $5bn (£2.51bn) worth of trade a year to hold steady or better still increase and that will only happen if relations improve. |