Venezuela has launched a major military operation along the border with Colombia to protect its national sovereignty, Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizales said on Friday, one week after Bogota did some saber rattling of its own.
Carrizales, who is also defense minister, said operation “Sentinel” would involve the National Guard and three branches of the armed forces, and extend along the entire 2,219km border with Colombia.
The objective, he told a public television channel, is to fight crime, including drug trafficking and protect “national sovereignty.”
Operation Sentinel followed Venezuela President Hugo Chavez’s warning last Sunday that he would respond to any Colombian military incursion, after Bogota said it would pursue Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas even across the border into neighboring countries.
Carrizales said that starting on Friday he would visit all border military posts to take in their commander’s views and suggestions.
General Freddy Carrion said four brigades — total troop number not provided — along with 20 combat aircraft would take part in the “large scale” operation, which will also check for all type of smuggling across the border into Colombia.
Colombia and Venezuela nearly came to blows a year ago after Colombia bombed a FARC rebel base inside Ecuador, Venezuela’s leftist ally in the region.
Both countries reinforced their border areas with troops, but stopped short of military action.
The two countries withdrew their ambassadors in November 2007, after Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said Chavez was meddling in his internal affairs and dismissed him as an intermediary in hostage-release talks with FARC.
On Friday, the diplomatic spat eased somewhat when Colombia named a new ambassador to Caracas, Maria Luisa Chiappe.
It is now expected that Venezuela will reciprocate by appointing a new emissary to Bogota.
Carrizales also raised concern over Colombia’s plan to eradicate coca leaf and marijuana plantations near its border with Venezuela by aerial fumigation, despite Colombia’s assurances the program would not extend to the border area itself.
The vice president said the issue would be raised at the meeting of both countries’ foreign ministers in Caracas on Thursday.
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