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Chavez freezes ties with Colombia Chavez freezes ties with Colombia
(about 7 hours later)
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he has frozen his country's bilateral ties with neighbouring Colombia.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says he has frozen his country's bilateral ties with neighbouring Colombia.
The move follows the decision by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to end Mr Chavez's role as a hostage negotiator with Colombia's Farc rebels.The move follows the decision by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to end Mr Chavez's role as a hostage negotiator with Colombia's Farc rebels.
Mr Chavez said that the decision to end his mediation role was "a spit in the face" and denounced Mr Uribe as a liar.Mr Chavez said that the decision to end his mediation role was "a spit in the face" and denounced Mr Uribe as a liar.
Mr Uribe said Mr Chavez wanted Colombia to "become the victim of the terrorist government of the Farc". He also said he had frozen relations with Spain over a remark made by King Juan Carlos earlier this month.
"I declare before the world that I'm putting relations with Colombia in the freezer because I've completely lost confidence with everyone in the Colombian government," said Mr Chavez during a televised speech. The king told Mr Chavez to "shut up" after the Venezuelan leader repeatedly interrupted the Spanish Prime Minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, during the final session of Ibero-American summit in Santiago.
"The companies that Colombians have over here, the companies we have over there - all of that will be damaged," he told his cabinet. Mr Chavez later said the matter would be settled only if he received an apology from the king, whom he accused of "arrogance" and "impotence".
In announcing the "freeze" in relations with Colombia, Mr Chavez compared the situation to his recent diplomatic row with Spain, which was triggered when the Spanish King, Juan Carlos, told him to "shut up" at a summit meeting in Chile. The Spanish government has not yet responded to Mr Chavez's announcement.
"It's like the case of Spain: until the king of Spain apologises, I'm freezing relations with Spain," he said. 'Lamentable'
Hostage swap The harsh exchange of words between Venezuela and Colombia began on Saturday, when President Uribe insisted he had ended Mr Chavez's involvement in the negotiations for speaking directly to Colombia's army chief despite being told not to do so.
Mr Chavez's threat to freeze relations with Colombia was a response to the recent decision by President Uribe to strip the Venezuelan president of his role as a mediator in negotiations with the Marxist Farc rebels aimed at securing the release of dozens of hostages seized by Farc during Colombia's civil war. They have spat brutally in our face when we worked heart and soul to try to get them on the road to peace Hugo ChavezVenezuelan President
Attempts to free the hostages have been going on for several years, but the process appeared to take a step forward in August when Mr Chavez volunteered to act as an intermediary between the right-wing Colombian government and the left-wing rebels. "They issued a statement yesterday filled with lies, and that is serious, very serious," Mr Chavez responded - in marked contrast to his reluctant acceptance of the initial announcement on Wednesday.
A plan was drawn up for the rebels to hand over 45 hostages in exchange for the release of 500 imprisoned Farc guerrillas. "President Uribe is lying, and he's lying in a shameless way," he said.
It worries me that the search for an agreement will be used by the guerrillas to advance their policies Colombian President Alvaro Uribe The Venezuelan leader said Mr Uribe had lied about the reason for the failure of the talks in order to avoid seeking a peaceful solution to the 40-year-long armed conflict with the Farc.
But correspondents say Mr Uribe, whose own father was killed by the Farc, became increasingly irritated by Mr Chavez's apparent disregard for the proper diplomatic channels. "They have spat brutally in our face when we worked heart and soul to try to get them on the road to peace," he said.
Photos had appeared of Mr Chavez posing with a Farc commander.
Then, earlier this week, Mr Chavez revealed that Mr Uribe had told him that he was prepared to meet Farc leader Manuel Marulanda.
This further angered the Colombian president, who said the conversation had been confidential.
Eventually, Mr Chavez was dropped after he defied a Colombian instructions not to be in direct contact with Colombia's army chief.
Relatives' sorrow
The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, has urged Mr Uribe to reconsider his decision to end Mr Chavez's role.
President Sarkozy has taken a particular interest in the issue, because one of the hostages - Ingrid Betancourt - holds French citizenship.
Mr Sarkozy said he believed the Venezuelan leader was still the best person to broker an exchange.
Colombians react to the end of Hugo Chavez's mediation effortsIn picturesColombians react to the end of Hugo Chavez's mediation effortsIn pictures
Relatives of Farc-held hostages expressed shock and grief at the end of Mr Chavez's participation as dozens gathered near the presidential palace in Bogota to protest on Thursday. Mr Chavez said he had therefore decided to freeze Venezuela's relations with its neighbour and second-largest trading partner.
"We thought it was very brave what President Chavez did in three months compared to what the government has failed to do in 10 years," Jose Uriel Perez, whose nephew was taken by Farc in 1998, told AP. "I declare before the world that I'm putting relations with Colombia in the freezer because I've completely lost confidence with everyone in the Colombian government," he said.
"Nothing touches this government - not the deaths, nor our mourning, nor the pain the families of the kidnapped live with." "Everyone should be on alert with respect to Colombia," he added. "The companies that Colombians have here, the companies we have over there, commercial relations - all of that will be damaged. It's lamentable."
"It's like the case of Spain - until the king of Spain apologises, I'm freezing relations with Spain."
'Expansionist project'
The BBC's Jeremy McDermott in Bogota says President Uribe wasted no time in responding to the onslaught from his Venezuelan counterpart.
His attack on Mr Chavez was less personal but equally devastating, our correspondent says.
Your words, your attitudes, give the impression that you are not interested in peace in Colombia, but rather that Colombia be a victim of a Farc terrorist government Colombian President Alvaro Uribe
Mr Uribe accused the Venezuelan leader of not being interested in promoting peace in Colombia and insisted that Venezuela had expansionist plans that Colombia would resist.
"The truth is, President Chavez, we need mediation against terrorism, not one that legitimises terrorism," he said.
"Your words, your attitudes, give the impression that you are not interested in peace in Colombia, but rather that Colombia be a victim of a Farc terrorist government," he added.
"If you are spreading an expansionist project in the continent, in Colombia this project will make no headway."
The Colombian president said Mr Chavez had attempted to "set the continent on fire" by attacking Spain and the US, and by "mistreating" Mexico, Peru and Bolivia.
"You can not mistreat the continent, set it on fire as you do, speaking about imperialism when you, on the basis of your budget, want to set up an empire."
On Thursday, relatives of the those being held by the Farc protested against the end of Mr Chavez's involvement in the negotiations which would have seen 45 hostages handed over in exchange for the release of 500 imprisoned guerrillas.
The French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, also urged Mr Uribe to reconsider his decision. Mr Sarkozy has taken a particular interest in the issue, because one of the hostages - Ingrid Betancourt - holds French citizenship.