Colombian President Alvaro Uribe criticizes Brazil’s position on the recent crisis in relations between Colombia and Venezuela.
According to a press statement released on Thursday by the Casa de Nariño, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva does not recognize “[Colombia’s] efforts to find solutions through dialogue.”
“We repeat with all respect to President Lula and the Brazilian government that the only solution that Colombia accepts is not to permit the presence of FARC and ELN guerrillas in Venezuelan territory,” the press release stated.
The statement follows Lula’s comment that “there is no conflict” apart from a “verbal” one, and that it is necessary to “have patience” and remain calm until August 7, when Uribe hands over power to his successor Juan Manuel Santos.
“In South America we are working at building peace,” Lula said, adding that the priority is to “recuperate normality” in Caracas-Bogota relations.
Lula said that he will speak with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in Caracas August 6, before flying to Bogota the same day to speak with Uribe and Santos. Both visits will seek to address Venezuela’s severing of all ties with Colombia, after Colombia presented allegations to the Organization of American States (OAS) of 87 guerrilla camps located within Venezuela’s border.