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A worker carries out a routine check in a natural gas control centre - Source: Reuters -
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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez ratcheted up a
spat with Colombia
over a US troop plan,
ending a fuel subsidy and accusing his neighbour of a small
military incursion across the shared Orinoco River.
Persistent Washington critic Chavez is furious at a plan to house a
few hundred more US troops
at seven
Colombian military bases and says it risks sparking war in South
America.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe says the troop plan is necessary
to fight drug traffickers but Chavez claims a greater US presence
in the region is a direct threat to him.
"Stop the supply of (subsidized) fuel to Colombia right now; let
them buy it at its real price. How can we favour the government of
Uribe like this?"
Under a 2008 agreement, OPEC nation Venezuela sells between 50,000
and 120,000 barrels of subsidized gasoline each month to Colombia
to combat rampant fuel smuggling.
Speaking on his weekly television show, Chavez also said he had
been informed Colombian soldiers crossed a river border in a small
boat, in what he called a provocation, although he said the boat
had gone by the time Venezuelan troops arrived to check.
"This is a provocation by the government of Uribe, that's the
Yankees there, the Yankees have started to command Colombian
military forces," said Chavez, who often uses incendiary words
against his neighbour but usually, backs down quickly.
Colombian officials did not immediately return calls seeking
comment.
Chavez has already taken measures against Colombia's state oil
company and car exporters, and on Sunday urged companies to buy
less from one of Venezuela's top trade partners.
He previously warned the fuel deal was under review.
Ecuador summit
The two countries shared $US7 billion in commerce last year, with
Venezuela exporting oil and chemical products in exchange for food
and textiles.
Venezuela has some of the world's cheapest gasoline, which costs
just a few US cents to fill a large tank and makes contraband sales
to more costly Colombia big business.
The OPEC nation says it loses 27,000 barrels per day and $US1
billion per year to traffickers ranging from small-time peddlers to
large-scale smuggling.
Chavez
withdrew his ambassador
from Bogota for about
a week in the diplomatic spat but late on Friday night ordered him
back.
Chavez joins other South American leaders on Monday for a summit in
Ecuador, where the base plan is expected to top the agenda.
US ally Uribe is not attending, but toured the region to drum up
support.
Colombia, the world's No 1 cocaine producer, has received more than
$US5 billion in mostly military aid from Washington to fight drug
traffickers and FARC rebels.
The base deal is an extension of an existing military
cooperation accord.
US President Barack Obama on Friday denied the United States is
planning to set up military bases in Colombia as part of the
upgraded security agreement and said he has no intention of sending
large numbers of additional troops.
The United States is in talks with Uribe's government about
relocating US drug interdiction flight operations to Colombia after
being kicked out of neighbouring Ecuador.
The plan is expected to increase the number of US troops in
Colombia above the current total of less than 300 but not above
800, the maximum permitted under the existing military pact,
officials said.
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