Venezuela arrests colombian fighters

[Judi Lynn]

Venezuela arrests colombian fighters
10 de Mayo del 2004
Actualizado: 3:04:55 AM hora de Cd. Juárez




By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
EL HATILLO, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez charged Sunday that dozens of suspects arrested in raid Sunday are Colombian insurgents involved in a plot against his government.

Chavez said 53 Colombian right-wing paramilitary fighters were arrested in a raid on a farm earlier in the day, and another 24 recruits were caught after fleeing into the countryside.
(snip)

Daniel Fonseca, a neighbor living near the farm where the paramilitaries were arrested, said the men had been at the farm for about 15 days.
``I saw them twice when riding horses,'' Fonseca told The Associated Press. ``They were dressed as civilians and I saw some of them with 9mm pistols.''

An AP reporter saw abundant amounts of food, provisions, clothes and about one hundred thin mattresses at the rustic house where the alleged paramilitary members were captured.
(snip/...)

http://www.diario.com.mx/nota.asp?notaid=d956012a74faf49b4c5cd5a0d73b4d23

[bobthedrummer]

1. Some of these RW Colombian folks benefited from SOA training

and what is worse these death squads have targeted labor organizations and supporters as "terrorists" in Colombia.:nuke:
http://www.populist.com/02.7.Hirsch.html

[Judi Lynn]

2. Colombian paramilitaries arrested in Venezuela

Colombian paramilitaries arrested in Venezuela

Jeremy Lennard and agencies
Monday May 10, 2004

Venezuelan police have arrested more than 70 Colombian paramilitary fighters who were allegedly plotting to strike against the government in Caracas, according to the country's president, Hugo Chávez.
Opposition leaders, however, were quick to dismiss the president's claim, calling the raids on a farm less than 10 miles from the capital a ruse to divert attention from their efforts to oust Mr Chávez in a recall vote.

During his weekly radio and TV broadcast, Hello Mr President, Mr Chávez said that 53 paramilitary fighters were arrested at the farm early on Sunday and another 24 were picked up after fleeing into the countryside.

The country's security forces were uncovering additional clues and searching for more suspects, he said, adding that the arrests were proof of a conspiracy against his government involving Cuban and Venezuelan exiles in Florida and neighbouring Colombia.
(snip/...)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/venezuela/story/0,12716,1213445,00.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BobtheDrummer's article is well worth reading. In Colombia, "anyone who speaks out is in danger." So we make the Colombian gov't the 3rd largest recipient of our taxpayers' funds in aid. Does that make sense?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Venezuela captures Colombians in anti-Chavez 'plot'

Venezuela captures Colombians in anti-Chavez 'plot'
By Reuters. Sunday 9 May 2004. 7:12pm


CARACAS, Venezuela, May 9 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Sunday his security forces had captured a band of Colombian paramilitaries who were being trained by his foes to kill or overthrow him, but opposition leaders dismissed the charge as an attempt to smear them.
(snip)

Chavez, citing information from military chiefs, said 56 Colombians dressed in Venezuelan military uniforms were seized in a raid early Sunday on a ranch owned by a Cuban exile among hills on the southern outskirts of Caracas.
(snip)

CUBAN EXILE NAMED

Chavez, a firebrand populist elected in 1998, has often accused his domestic opponents of trying to overthrow him with the help of the U.S. government, wealthy Colombians opposed to his rule and right-wing Cuban exiles.

The president said the ranch raided belonged to a Cuban exile, Roberto Alonso, closely linked to Venezuela's opposition and to Cuban exile groups in Miami opposed to Cuba's Communist President Fidel Castro.
(snip/...)

http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1083180385466&p=1012571727102