36 seconds ago 2009-12-05T17:30:02-08:00
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The United States on Tuesday called on Colombia and Venezuela to talk out their differences, before the growing tension over a US-Colombian military base deal gets out of hand.
"We certainly don't think this is about the US," State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said of Venezuela's accusation that the military deal masks US encroachment in the region.
"We certainly would encourage dialogue between Venezuela and Colombia and the peaceful resolution of the situation," Crowley added.
The military base deal signed last month gives the United States access to seven Colombian military bases to carry out drug trafficking operations.
Leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Sunday lambasted the agreement and told his people and armed forces to "prepare for war."
Colombia immediately issued a statement denying any hostile intentions towards any of its neighbors and threatened to bring the matter before the United Nations and Organization of American States.
Tension between Venezuela's leftist regime and Colombia's conservative President Alvaro Uribe, chief US ally in the region, kicked into high gear in July when relations between them were frozen after Bogota announced its 10-year deal with Washington.
