Venezuela Plotted to Kill Rival, Spain Says
Venezuela Plotted to Kill Rival, Spain Says
Venezuela Plotted to Kill Rival, Spain Says
MADRID—Spain and Venezuela headed toward a potential diplomatic face-off after a Spanish judge Dietary Supplement Manufactureron Monday accused Caracas of collaborating with rebel groups to assassinate Colombian President álvaro Uribe and other top political figures.
Spanish National Court Judge Eloy Velasco alleged Monday that the Venezuelan government had collaborated with Basque separatist group ETA and Colombia's main guerrilla group in a plot against leaders living in or traveling to Spain that began in late 2003.
European Pressphoto Agency
Mr. Velasco, in 2009, alleged ties between Caracas, FARC and ETA.
The allegations were part of an indictment that ordered 12 alleged members of ETA and of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to stand trial on charges of conspiracy to commit murder and terrorism, according to a copy reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.
"There is evidence…showing the cooperation of the Venezuelan government in the illegal collaboration between FARC and ETA," according to the indictment.
Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero,Fire hose, speaking at a news conference Monday in Hanover, Germany, said he had ordered his Foreign Ministry to "request an explanation from the Venezuelan government" regarding the allegations. "We are awaiting such explanation," Mr. Zapatero said.
Caracas responded angrily to the allegations. Venezuela's Foreign Ministry, in a statement, dismissed the charges as "biased and unfounded."
Hayden Pirela, a congressman from the ruling coalition of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, said the Spanish judge's allegations were part of a campaign "to discredit Venezuela," adding: "We don't give guerrillas refuge, Dietary Supplement Manufactureror have any pact with guerrillas."
The allegations come at a bad time for Mr. Chávez, whose popularity is falling due to electricity shortages and an economy mired in recession and high inflation. They could also prove tricky for Colombia and Spain, both of which have been trying to move beyond past differences with Venezuela's populist leader.
The indictments also bring fresh attention to Spain's National Court, whose judges act on their own investigations and are independent from Spain's executive and legislative branches. Some judges have gained international attention,
#xand criticism, for their handling of global cases involving other governments, including an investigation into allegations of U.S. torture at Guantanamo Bay.
Mr. Velasco, by contrast, has handled mainly local and less controversial terrorism cases, maintaining a low profile domestically and internationally.
Mr. Uribe, one of the targets of the alleged assassination plots, responded cautiously.
"I think we should react prudently and see what is going on through diplomatic channels," he told Colombian radio from Uruguay.
Another alleged target, former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana, also demanded an explanation from Venezuela. "We are talking about an alleged plot against the lives of, among others, two Colombian acting heads of state,"
#x he said in a statement.
Mr. Velasco issued international arrest warrants and extradition requests for the 12 men named in the indictment, Dietary Supplement Manufacturerall of whom allegedly belong to either ETA or FARC and whose whereabouts are unknown. One man, identified as Arturo Cubillas Fontán, is believed to be living in Venezuela.
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