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CARACAS: The United States voiced support Friday for ally Colombia in an escalating confrontation with Venezuela that has seen Caracas severing all diplomatic relations with Bogota.
Allegations by Colombia that Venezuela was harbouring 1,500 Colombian rebels in camps on its territory "need to be taken very seriously," the US State Department told AFP.
Those claims, made by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe last week and repeated in detail at a special meeting Thursday of the Organization of American States (OAS), prompted Venezuela to cut ties with Colombia.
"I announce with a heavy heart: Venezuela breaks off from this moment all relations with the government of Colombia," Chavez told reporters Thursday, as he put forces on the border with Colombia on alert.
Chavez strongly denied Bogota's charge, saying his army pursued any Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) insurgents in Venezuela.
He also accused Uribe -- who hands over the Colombian presidency in two weeks to his former defense minister -- of wanting to use the pretext of rebel camps "to attack us and cause a war."
Venezuela called for an emergency meeting of South American foreign ministers to "denounce the serious attacks from the Colombian government against (Venezuelan) sovereignty."
It also gave Colombia until the end of the weekend to withdraw its diplomats from Venezuela and shut its embassy. Venezula was doing likewise.
Venezuela's defense minister, Carlos Mata, said the army was ready to "give a robust response" if Colombian forces attacked. He said that, so far, the situation along the border was "normal."
The row renewed tensions that have long dogged relations between Colombia, the biggest US military ally in the region, and Venezuela, a friend of Cuba that has used its oil wealth to accumulate an arsenal of modern Russian warplanes and weaponry.
The two countries almost went to war in 2008 over a raid Colombia made into Ecuador to destroy a FARC camp.
Last year, Chavez froze ties with Colombia after Bogota agreed to give the US military access to seven of its bases to fight cocaine production and trafficking -- activities the FARC, the ELN and right-wing paramilitaries are involved in.
Colombia on Thursday presented photos and satellite maps to the OAS it said proved rebels were operating out of more than 80 camps in Venezuela.
"Colombia's allegations need to be taken very seriously," the State Department said in response to a written query from AFP.
"Venezuela has an obligation to Colombia and to the international community to fully investigate this information and move to prevent the use of its sovereign territory by terrorist groups," it said.
The dispute was unsettling other countries in the region.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday called Chavez to express his concern and to urge "a diplomatic solution," while Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said he would seek a meeting of leaders from the Unasur regional bloc to help resolve the row.
Bolivian President Evo Morales meanwhile defended Chavez and called the Colombian leader a "lackey of imperialism."
UN chief Ban Ki-moon urged both sides to avoid further escalation, expressing hope the neighbors could smooth out their differences through dialogue. - AFP/fa
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