The Colombia Prosecutor General’s Office allegedly has evidence of FARC presence in Venezuela from the computers seized during the 2008 cross-border raid in Ecuador which killed FARC leader Raul Reyes, reports Caracol.
The evidence includes email correspondence between the “FARC foreign minister,” Rodrigo Granda, and Raul Reyes in which the guerrilla leaders discuss meetings in Venezuela in 2002 with a man named “Ramon,” who Colombian media believe is former Venezuelan Interior Minister, Ramon Rodriguez Chacin.
Another email from Granda to Reyes documents a meeting with Venezuelan politicians Tarek William Saab and Marelis Perez as well as with the then Venezuelan congressman, Nicolas Maduro, who had sent greetings to Reyes.
The authenticity of the files found on Reyes’ computer have in the past been questioned, but were verified by an Interpol analysis in 2009. The international police agency added, however, that “the authenticity of the laptops does not mean the validation of Colombia’s interpretation of their contents.”
President Hugo Chavez on Thursday broke all ties with Colombia, following Colombia’s allegations before the Organization of American States that there are 87 guerrilla camps in Venezuelan territory.
Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos refused to comment on the crisis unfolding with Venezuela, saying “the best contribution that we can make is to not comment.”
Outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Thursday evening called an emergency meeting at the Casa de Nariño to evaluate the crisis. Minister for the Interior Fabio Valencia Cossio, acting Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza Diago, and Defense Minister Gabriel Silva attended the meeting, but did not speak to the press.