Colombia’s former President Ernesto Samper will meet with Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez in Caracas Thursday to discuss possible
solutions to the diplomatic crises between the two countries.
According to Radio Caracol, Chavez and the Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro contacted Samper to arrange a meeting to talk about the presence of U.S. military in Colombia and the strained relations between Caracas and Bogota.
Samper had been requested a reunion with Venezuelan president for six months. The Uribe government said the decision to meet with Chavez is strictly “personal.”
The U.S. and Colombia are working on an agreement to allow the United States to
use Colombian air bases for its ‘war on drugs’ in the Caribbean and
Atlantic. Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez fiercely opposes this pact. As a sign of protest Chavez froze all diplomatic relations with Colombia and threatens to suspend all trade with Venezuela’s neighbor.