Computer Documents Suggest Link Between Chávez and FARC
March 4, 2008 | 10:28 am | by t-blender |Rate It:
The Colombian government says it has recovered documents from the computers of slain FARC rebels that show financial ties between the leftist guerrilas and Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez.
Speaking at a press conference Monday, Colombia’s national police chief Gen. Oscar Naranjo said the evidence suggests Chávez had recently given $300 million to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The police chief suspects this money could be part of a deal to release several hostages held by the FARC.
“This unmasks the relations of the FARC with a series of governments, with a series of personalities, some public, some more sinister,” Naranjo said. A representative of the Ecuadorian government may have been involved with the organization as well, he says, though Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa has already denied these charges.
“They said we had a pact with terrorists, and that is completely false,” Correa said during a Cabinet meeting. “We are dealing with an extremely cynical government.”
The police chief also said there was evidence of the Venezuelan government offering to help supply rifles and of 50 kilograms of uranium to FARC. To verify the evidence, the police chief said he will send the documents to the Organization of American States, who will meet in Washington on Tuesday to discuss the South American situation.
In addition, he says there is evidence that FARC had given $150,000 to Chávez in 1992 when he was a jailed rebel leader. “A note recovered from Raúl Reyes speaks of how grateful Chávez was for the 100 million pesos that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, delivered to Chávez when he was in prison,” Naranjo said.
Raúl Reyes, the spokesman of FARC, was killed Saturday in a Colombian raid that extended into Ecuadorian territory. This has led to increased tension between Colombia and Ecuador, the latter of which, along with Ecuador’s ally Venezeula, have sent troops to their respective borders.
“We will not permit this outrage,” said Rafael Correa. “The situation is extremely grave, and the Ecuadoran government is disposed to go to the ultimate consequences.” Hugo Chávez backed Correa’s statements, calling the attacks a “cowardly murder”.
Colombia says it has decided not to send extra troops to its borders or sever diplomatic ties with either of the two countries.
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