Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuela's Hugo Chávez announced the resumption of diplomatic ties following talks to end the latest dispute between the two neighbouring but ideologically opposed countries.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and his new Colombian counterpart, Juan Manuel Santos, will meet this week as the first step toward restoring diplomatic relations between the South American neighbours, officials said Sunday.
President Hugo Chávez offered to meet with Colombia's new President Juan Manuel Santos to restore diplomatic relations broken over allegations that Venezuela was tolerating the presence of guerrillas in its territory.
The controversy between Venezuela and Colombia is to mark the rhythm of political conversations during the Mercosur Summit, to be held on August 2 and 3 in the Argentine city of San Juan city in San Juan province.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez reaffirmed that his government's “supreme objective” is to “stop the war-craze” of out-going Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, and he assured the “dilemma” of the bilateral crisis is “between words and missiles.”
Outgoing Colombian president Alvaro Uribe deplored Thursday statements from the Brazilian leader Lula da Silva related to Venezuela’s decision to severe relations with Bogotá, according to a brief release from Palacio Nariño, seat of the Executive.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez office has confirmed he will be participating of the coming Mercosur presidential summit scheduled for next August 3 in San Juan, north of Argentina when the rotating chair of the block will be passing from Buenos Aires to Brasilia.
In an attempt to take distance from the Colombian guerrilla following claims of his alleged links with the rebels presented by Bogotá before the Organization of American States, OAS, President Hugo Chavez said that “Colombian armed groups must reconsider their armed strategy”.
Former Argentine president and current Secretary-General of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), Néstor Kirchner, “will collaborate in the mediation led by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa, in order to overcome the crisis between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments”.
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez broke off his country's relations with neighbouring Colombia Thursday over allegations that Colombian rebels were operating in Venezuela.