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From: C-afp@clari.net (AFP)
Newsgroups: clari.world.americas.south.misc,clari.world.americas,clari.world.americas.south
Subject: Venezuelan president warns Colombian rebels away from border area
Organization: Copyright 1999 by Agence France-Presse (via ClariNet)
Message-ID: <Qvenezuela-colombiaURcMb_9FF@clari.net>
Lines: 26
Date: Sun, 14 Feb 1999 17:13:44 PST
ACategory: international
Slugword: Venezuela-Colombia
Threadword: venezuela
Priority: urgent
Approved: e.news@clari.net
Xref: news.cs.columbia.edu clari.world.americas.south.misc:9556 clari.world.americas:10327 clari.world.americas.south:24696

  	  				 
   GUASDUALITO, Venezuela, Feb 14 (AFP) - Venezuelan armed forces  
are ready to intervene if Colombian rebel violence spills over the 
border, President Hugo Chavez warned Sunday. 
   "Venezuela is acting as an intermediary for peace in the  
Colombian conflict and the guerrillas should stop any kind of armed 
action in Venezuela, including kidnapping and extortion," Chavez 
warned. 
   The newly sworn-in Venezuelan leader, dressed in a military  
uniform, was speaking from a military border command center here, 
some 300 kilometers (180 miles) southwest of the capital, Caracas. 
   Chavez warned the Colombian rebels to stop its violence, or his  
army "would be forced to respond to defend the country's 
sovereignty." 
   Chavez also lifted curfews that had been imposed across various  
border states which have been living under the threat of guerrilla 
violence. 
   The 2,200 kilometer (1,320 mile) long border between Venezuela  
and Colombia has been affected by drug trafficking and fighting by 
various Colombian rebel groups. 
   Chavez was in the region to kick-off an aid program whereby  
50,000 soldiers are to help local farming communities over the next 
three months. 
   Js/smb/ld  
  	   	

