16.04.2004 (By Jhony Corto, ANNCOL) In a declaration sent to ANNCOL various Colombian political and social leaders denounce alleged plans by the extreme right wing government of President Alvaro Uribe to attack the neighboring country. According to the signers of the declaration, the decoration in Bogota this Wednesday of Cuban born US congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balar is part of a campaign to provoke a war between Colombia and Venezuela.

Diaz-Balar is accused of having organized terrorist attacks against the Cuban government and is one of those promoting a military intervention to topple the government of Hugo Chavez in Venezuela.

The leaders declare that "the event seeks to convert Colombia into a political and military base for aggression against the legitimate governments of the region and against president Hugo Chavez in particular. It constitutes a strategy that is not in the interest of the Colombian people but of the United States, which seeks to create conflicts and wars between sister peoples, in the service of petroleum and geopolitical interests."

Among those signing the declaration appear Gustavo Petro, member of the House of Representatives for the PDI alliance; Hernando Cardona of the Committee of Support and Solidarity with the Bolivarian Process, Luis Fernando Escobar of peace group Planeta Paz, and Ernesto Amezquita of the Colombian-Venezuelan Association for Peace.

Last week Gloria Gaitan, daughter of the Colombian Liberal Party leader Eliecer Gaitan, who was assassinated by the CIA in 1948, sought political asylum in Venezuela. On the Venezuelan government TV-channel VTV Gloria Gaitan denounced that Bogota is preparing an invasion of Venezuela, by way of the Venezuelan state of Zulia.

Gaitan also warned that the Uribe government is trying to buy about 40 AMX-30 battle tanks in Spain. (foto)

During 2003 paramilitaries supported by the Colombian Army several time penetrated Venezuela territory, assassinating peasant leaders and activists of President Chavez' political movement. They also confronted the Venezuela Army on several occasions. Bogota has accused Chavez of sympathizing with Colombian guerillas.