Venezuelan soldiers blew up two pedestrian bridges Thursday in Colombia's Norte de Santander frontier department, reported the Colombian government.
Colombia's Defense Minister, Gabriel Silva, claimed that a troop of Venezuelan guards arrived at the scene, near the town of Rangonvalia and proceeded to detonate explosives, destroying the two bridges connecting Colombia to Venezuelan territory over the river Tachira.
Colombia's Vice Foreign Minister, Clemencia Forero, has announced that the event will be presented before the OAS and the UN as a serious violation of humanitarian law on the part of Venezuela and an assault against the civil population of the region, reported newspaper El Espectador Thursday.
Authorities in Rangonvalia have delivered preliminary information to Colombia's Ombudsman, Volmar Perez, who has signaled that as a result of the events, an official delegation will be sent to the region to collect information and testimonies and a high level meeting will be held Friday to re-address the concerning security situation along the Venezuelan border.
According to Silva the events "are being considered as a threat that require the adoption of contingency plans." Silva further noted that Friday's meeting will be attended by police and military commanders as well as civil authorities from the border region, reported news station Caracol.
Silva allegedly concluded by saying that "Colombia is disposed to achieving understanding and peace with her neighboring countries, but this is sensitive information that greatly disturbs the Government."
Oibrigade
said:
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... Now that is an act of aggression. Curious as to how Colombia will retaliate. More curious as to how the rest of the South American nations will react. Chavez needs to be assassinated. |
Oibrigade
said:
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... I over reacted, my apologies Adriaan. Chavez just makes me sick with his daily comments. And the fact that by blowing up those bridges its costing poor Colombians food to feed our children it just disgust me. I just wish Chavez would hurt someone other then the poor people who need to use those bridges. Adriaan keep up the good work! |
NotAlvaroUribe
said:
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... They were just a makeshift bridges. If you look at the picture of the bridge, it looks like termites holding hands. The bridges were being used to transport contraband between the borders. "Una vez más, el Gobierno de Colombia se pone del lado de la ilegalidad, al manifestar este jueves que denunciará a Venezuela ante organismos internacionales por la voladura de dos puentes fronterizos que eran utilizados como pasarelas para el contrabando, alegando que esta acción viola el Derecho Internacional Humanitario." |
Bluebird
said:
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... They may have been makeshift bridges but if that is all you have you don't want that jerkwad Hugo blowing them to bits!then |
SovereignMan
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... That sure is a misleading headline! With the US troop buildup in Colombia it looks like Chavez is expecting an invasion. |
gringomedeliin
said:
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... I agree the headlines sounds misleading, after all if the crossed the border then they have in fact invaded Colombia opening up the ability for Colombia to respond , maybe even asking the USA to respond for them by taking out Chavez, but I think what happened is the arrived at the bridges and blow up the bridges from their side of the border. A better headline would have been Venezuela takes out two bridges connected to Colombia |
koz
said:
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... Yes the headline is missleading. None-the-less, the bridges belong to both countries and it IS an act of aggression. Chavez is a nut. The entire world recognizes this. He only alienates his country and people with this action from his best trading partner and potential good friend. It is a shame Venezuela cannot have honest elections as we all know he would not be re-elected in a fair election. No Venezuelan wants its country and its leader viewed the way they have been by the world. If he is trying to instigate a retaliation he is foolish. Like a child, he's taking his marbles and going home. |
And.
said:
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... It does suck for the local people who are likely dependent on the cross boarder trade. The Venezuelan army shouldn't have just blown them up. But then again their actions can be justified. Colombia and Venezuela have serious boarder issues. Both sides want their boarders tightened. I wouldn't have been surprized if it had been the Colombian army had taken out the bridges sometime in the near future. Just an example: Can you imagine the American or Mexican authorities allowing makeshift bridges/unregulated entry points to exist across the Rio Grande? They have filled in tunnels that go underneath their boarder before. What else would you expect from a country's military? Still life isn't going to be easy for the locals now and I sympathize with them. The local economy with surely suffer. |
Bluebird
said:
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... I really think chavez will continue to intentionally escalate the situation with increasingly aggressive/ provacative actions and can then say " Everyone look at me! I am not afraid of the Yankee dog!" And then when finally he crosses the line..........when he pushes too hard, and evokes an armed response from Colombian/ U.S. forces he will be the first to call on all his socialist brothers to "come to his aid" because he is being invaded by the yankees just as he predicted all along. Pretty simple strategy to figure out really..... |
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