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Colombia to release Venezuelans | |
(about 8 hours later) | |
Colombia has said it will shortly release four members of the Venezuelan national guard who were detained on Colombian territory. | |
Colombia says they were stopped on Friday by its navy in a boat on a river in the border province of Vichada. | |
But President Alvaro Uribe said on Saturday they would be returned to the Venezuelan authorities. | |
There has been no comment from the Venezuelan government, which last week sent troops to the border region. | |
President Hugo Chavez, in deploying the forces, said a new US-Colombia military co-operation agreement set the stage for an invasion of his country. | |
Both Bogota and Washington dismiss the claims. | |
Mr Uribe said the troops would be released and sent home as a message of the "unbreakable affection" between the two countries. | |
"They should carry back the message that here there is brotherly affection for Venezuela and that affection is unbreakable," he said. | "They should carry back the message that here there is brotherly affection for Venezuela and that affection is unbreakable," he said. |
The Venezuelan guardsmen were arrested in Colombia's sparsely populated border department of Vichada, officials said. | |
Earlier this month, President Chavez urged his armed forces to be prepared for possible war. | Earlier this month, President Chavez urged his armed forces to be prepared for possible war. |
He said the increased US access to Colombian bases would allow Washington to spy on Venezuela and attack strategic targets. | |
Bogota says the pact is aimed at fighting drug-traffickers and Marxist rebels within Colombia's own borders. | Bogota says the pact is aimed at fighting drug-traffickers and Marxist rebels within Colombia's own borders. |