Incident

Incident

Venezuela sends troops to Colombian border

05 March 2008 16:31 (UTC +04:00)

"Between 85 and 90 percent of the troops are situated," Gen.Jesus Gonzalez Gonzalez told reporters at a news conference, saying soldiers were largely sent to the border states of Zulia, Tachira and Apure.
He said the movement of troops began Sunday, immediately after President Hugo Chavez ordered 10 battalions deployed to the border in response to a Colombian military strike that killed two dozen leftist rebels on Ecuadorian soil.
Those battalions sent to the border region included approximately 9,000 men, retired Gen. Alberto Muller Rojas, a former top aide to Chavez, told The Associated Press.
Chavez also dispatched tanks and ordered an air force deployment, but the military has been tightlipped about specifics of troop movements along the border, which runs 1,370 miles, including stretches through mountains and thick jungle.
If necessary, Venezuelaâ€™s military is "ready to defend the sacred sovereignty of the homeland," Defense Minister Gen. Gustavo Rangel Briceno said.
No major troop presence was seen by journalists at border crossings Wednesday. National Guard troops stood watch at the main border crossing in San Antonio as usual.
Hundreds of troops were seen on Tuesday boarding buses and trucks at the Paramaracay base in the central city of Valencia, headed for the border.
Ecuador has also sent troops to its border with Colombia, denouncing the weekend military strike in its territory as a violation of its sovereignty.
Colombia yesterday pointed to documents found in a slain rebel leaderâ€™s laptop. The country claims the documents are proof of links between the leftist guerrillas and Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez.
cuador has rejected a Colombian apology for the cross-border strike and is trying to rally opposition during an emergency meeting of the Organization of American States in Washington.
At Venezuelaâ€™s border with Colombia, National Guard troops turned back Colombian cargo trucks under orders from the government.
President Bush yesterday backed Colombia and accused Chavez of "provocative maneuvers."