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Venezeuelan President Hugo Chavez. (AP)
Last update - 12:43 03/03/2008
Chavez: Colombia has become the Israel of Latin America
By The Associated Press
Tags: Iran, Hugo Chavez, Israel 

Venezeuelan President Hugo Chavez ordered tanks and thousands of troops on Sunday to the border with Colombia, accusing it of pushing South
America to the brink of war and likening it to Israel for its U.S.-backed
attacks on militants.
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Chavez called Colombian President Alvaro Uribe a criminal and branded his government a terrorist state, over the killing of a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil.

"The Colombian government has become the Israel of Latin America," an agitated Chavez said, reiterating his criticism of the Israel Defense Forces' strikes on Palestinian militants.

"We aren't going to permit Colombia to become the Israel of these lands. ... Uribe, we aren't going to permit you."

Denouncing Colombia's slaying of the rebel commander in a cross-border raid into Ecuador, Chavez said Venezuela would respond militarily if Colombia violates its border.

He ordered Venezuela's embassy in Bogota closed.

"We don't want war, but we aren't going to permit the U.S. empire, which is the master [of Colombia] ... to come divide us," Chavez said on his weekly TV and radio program.

In protest, Ecuador withdrew its ambassador from Bogota, ordered Colombia's top diplomat expelled and ordered the mobilization of troops to the border with Colombia.

Ecuador's president, Rafael Correa, said Colombia deliberately carried out the strike beyond its borders. There is no justification, Correa said Sunday night, snubbing an earlier annoucement from Colombia that it would apologize for the incursion.

Correa said the rebels were bombed and massacred as they slept, using
precision technology. He said Colombia violated Ecuador's airspace when it bombed the rebel camp, which the Colombian military said was located 1.8 kilometers from the border.

Colombian officials have long complained that Ecuador's military does not
control its sparsely populated border, allowing rebels to take refuge.

In a statement, Colombia said FARC terrorists including Reyes have had the custom of killing in Colombia and taking refuge in the territory of
neighboring countries.

The situation pushed already tense relations between Venezuela and Colombia to a new nadir, though cross-border trade has not yet been seriously affected. Chavez did not specify how many troops was sending to the border.

Chavez, who has friendly diplomatic ties with Syria and Iran, said last year during a visit to Damascus that his goal was to "build a new world" free of U.S. domination.

Israel is considering downgrading its relations with Venezuela in light of the extremist anti-Israel line taken by the country's government under President Hugo Chavez.

Israel is concerned about the growing alliance between Chavez and his Iranian counterpart, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

A highly-placed source in Jerusalem says only preliminary talks have been held on the issue and no decision has been made.

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      1.   Chavez plays with fire. Part 1. 13:06  |  Stephen. 03/03/08
      2.   which means Venzuala has become the Hamas of Central America 13:19  |  Kenny 03/03/08
      3.   Chavez plays with fire. Part 2. 13:22  |  Stephen. 03/03/08
      4.   War in south america 13:25  |  Dror 03/03/08
      5.   Chavez 13:44  |  Gabe 03/03/08
      6.   To Stephen 13:55  |  Jozef 03/03/08
      7.   hamas of central america 14:02  |  carlos 03/03/08
      8.   chavez playing with fire 14:07  |  carlos 03/03/08
      9.   Collin Wright with his Colombian wife couldn`t agree more 14:22  |  Absolute Sweden 03/03/08
      10.   Chaves is a Leader. 14:34  |  Jose 03/03/08
      11.   Stephen. quit the propaganda 14:57  |  examiner 03/03/08
      12.   Fight Colombian Drug Trade 15:00  |  MiddleStanian 03/03/08
      13.   HUGO Chavez is the Fidel Castro wannabee of Latin America 15:03  |  PETER SM 03/03/08
      14.   Israel actions negative for antisemitisme 15:03  |  hipolito 03/03/08
      15.   Argentina backed Chávez 15:10  |  hipolito 03/03/08
      16.   to: Jose - Chaves is a Leader. 15:24  |  Imad 03/03/08
      17.   to: Jose - Chaves is a Leader. 15:24  |  Imad 03/03/08
      18.   Who let this big mouthed clown out 15:25  |  Eduardo Vernon 03/03/08
      19.   Colombia is trying to causing a conflict 15:26  |  Isratinian 03/03/08
      20.   Colombia 15:45  |  Shmuelshachor 03/03/08
      21.   POR QUE NO TE CALLAS!!!!!!!! 15:57  |  SAM EL LLANITO 03/03/08
      22.   It`s Just a matter of time... 16:06  |  Armando 03/03/08
      23.   venezuelan boobie. the new noriega. 16:23  |  frenz 03/03/08
      24.   # 10 jose of Caracas....Chavez is a coke head 16:25  |  Lynn 03/03/08
      25.   Stephen. quit the propaganda 16:34  |  examiner 03/03/08
      26.   Chavez the chupacabra 16:36  |  Castor Troy 03/03/08
      27.   # 12 Frenz Marvellous! 16:45  |  petra 03/03/08
      28.   Chavez has become the Nasser of Latin America 16:49  |  Gaston 03/03/08
      29.   peasant 16:52  |  ed 03/03/08
      30.   Schmuelshachor, come on, not so paranoid 16:55  |  Mark B. 03/03/08
      31.   hugo chavaz 17:01  |  ben blue sr 03/03/08
      32.   Bravo Columbia 17:03  |  Ofer 03/03/08
      33.   To this Jose 17:09  |  Cohen 03/03/08
      34.   Stephen. quit the propaganda 17:14  |  examiner 03/03/08
      35.   And Chavez Has Become The Court Jester Of S. America 17:18  |  B`Galil 03/03/08
      36.   let`s forget. ab. kennedy, truman, clintons, 17:29  |  bozhidar 03/03/08
      37.   Columbia, be proud 17:33  |  utagawa 03/03/08
      38.   Chavez, another socilaist idiot 17:41  |  Sabra 03/03/08
      39.   to jose 17:48  |  drdanielito 03/03/08
      40.   CHAVEZ IS 18:07  |  BRAZILIAN 03/03/08
      41.   Chavele Hugele - Uno Idioto 18:09  |  . 03/03/08
      42.   JOZEF AND CARLOS . WHAT LEADER 18:17  |  BRAZILIAN 03/03/08
      43.   And Venezuella became an Iran of S.America 18:17  |  Sal 03/03/08
      44.   Stephen parrots White House line 18:18  |  examiner 03/03/08
      45.   TO NO 1. CHAVEZ PLAYS 18:23  |  DANNY. 03/03/08
      46.   Chavez 18:33  |  Scott 03/03/08
      47.   what a lie! 18:34  |  jehad 03/03/08
      48.   EXCEPT ONE THING, CHAVEZ, EXCEPT ONE THING 19:03  |  indrajaya 03/03/08
      49.   Brilliant Minds Running the World? 19:05  |  Joan Stuchner 03/03/08
      50.   Chavez Is Going South Real Soon 19:20  |  Yosemite 03/03/08
      51.   courting iran is a bad investment 19:22  |  frenz 03/03/08
      52.   Chavez`s blitherings 19:26  |  Andy 03/03/08
      53.   Para Carlos de Caracas,Sud America 19:30  |  Hilda 03/03/08
      54.   LET PLAY THE CARDS CHAVEZ 19:54  |  indrajaya 03/03/08
      55.   not good for Sderot, not good for Israel 20:00  |  juan 03/03/08
      56.   Absolute idiot 20:04  |  Pekke 03/03/08
      57.   Otra para carlos de Venezuela... 20:17  |  Moises 03/03/08
      58.   to Hilda & Carlos 20:38  |  Nina 03/03/08
      59.   # 16 21:00  |  Nina 03/03/08
      60.   # 19 Indiana Jones. 21:05  |  Stephen. 03/03/08
      61.   One is enough 21:26  |  pal 03/03/08
      62.   I thought it was only the Arabs 21:34  |  J. Schaefer 03/03/08
      63.   Chavez 21:42  |  Dave 03/03/08
      64.   How does Chavez KNOW where rebels are? 21:59  |  Jonathon Moseley 03/03/08
      65.   re: LET PLAY THE CARDS CHAVEZ 22:04  |  Jack Stone 03/03/08
      66.   Chavez 22:11  |  Norman 03/03/08
      67.   Carlos in Venezuela 22:28  |  Alvaro U. 03/03/08
      68.   carlos you`re right in one regard 22:49  |  juanita 03/03/08
      69.   Yankies = Isreael = Uribe 22:50  |  Daniel 03/03/08
      70.   I`m Colombian 23:03  |  F 03/03/08
      71.   Hey carlos 23:20  |  Jesse 03/03/08
      72.  </