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US still eyeing Venezuela over alleged FARC support: Rice
Reuters/Jamil Bittar
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R) gestures as U.S. Secretary of the State Condoleezza Rice looks on at Planalto Palace in Brasilia, March 13, 2008.BRASILIA
Petroleumworld.com March 14, 2008The United States is examining information allegedly showing links between Venezuela and Colombian rebels and "will act accordingly," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice told reporters here Thursday.
But Rice would not be drawn on whether Venezuela could be added to the US list of terror-sponsoring states, despite US President George W. Bush on Wednesday slamming Caracas for supporting "terrorists."
"We will watch the situation and the US will act accordingly," she said.
The United States, she said, was concerned about safety in the region, which "has been subject to terrorist activities and terrorist attacks both within and beyond the borders."
Under UN obligations, "all states have undertaken to do everything they can to prevent terrorists from actively using their territory," she said, adding that her country expects "responsible states to live up to these obligations."
Rice was speaking after talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Foreign Minister Celso Amorim on a variety of issues, including the recent crisis pitting US ally Colombia against Venezuela and Ecuador.
That confrontation, triggered by a March 1 Colombian military raid inside Ecuador to destroy a Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) camp and kill a top guerrilla leader, brought the three countries to the brink of war.
It was only after frantic mediation by Brazil and other South American countries that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday called an end to the standoff.
Colombia, though, said it found computer records in the rebel camp showing Chavez paid the FARC 300 million dollars.
Colombia's Marxist FARC rebel group is considered a terrorist organization by Colombia, the United States and the European Union.
Bush on Wednesday accused Chavez of using his country's oil wealth to foment anti-US sentiment in Latin America, and noted he "has also called for FARC terrorists to be recognized as a legitimate army."
US under-secretary of state for Latin America, Tom Shannon, told reporters "the information that has emerged so far is worrisome ... because it does seems to indicate a degree of dialogue and discussion between members of the governement of Venezuela and the FARC that has to be explained."
But he said it was "too early" to jump to conclusions and stated: "Declaring somebody as a state sponsor of terrorism is a big step, is a serious step. It's one that we will only take after very careful consideration of all the evidence."
Rice's talks with Lula and Amorim also covered trade, climate change, reform of the UN Security Council, the Middle East and biofuel production in the United States and Brazil.
The Brazilian foreign ministry said Rice and Amorim conducted a wide-ranging assessment of US-Brazil bilateral relations and the regional and international situation.
The US secretary of state also signed a joint action plan that would see Brazil and the United States sharing information to battle racial discrimination.
Rice was later to head to Salvador de Bahia, a northern coastal city popular with tourists for its beaches and street music.
The US embassy said that leg of the trip had to do with Rice's interest in Salvador's exhibition of Afro-Brazilian culture derived from the large proportion of African descendants living there. Rice herself is of African-American descent.
On Friday, Rice is to leave for Chile, to meet that country's president, Michelle Bachelet.
Story by Mauricio Rabuffetti from AFP
AFP 13 2006 GMT 03 08Copyright© 2008 respective author or news agency. All rights reserved.
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