Venezuela keeps up war of words with Colombia

By Andrew Cawthorne

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela stoked a diplomatic feud with Colombia on Monday by accusing its South American neighbor of "lies" and "hypocrisy" in a growing dispute that is threatening trade and regional stability.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's government reacted angrily at the weekend when Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez told his army to prepare for war, a comment widely interpreted as rhetoric but one that still raised passions on both sides.

Venezuela says Uribe, a conservative and close ally of Washington, is allowing the U.S. government a dangerous foothold in the region by giving its troops access to Colombia's military bases.

That, says the socialist Chavez, may be a precursor for invading Venezuela. Chavez is backed by fellow leftist leaders in the region, like Ecuador's Rafael Correa.

Bogota denies the charge, saying the military agreement with Washington exists to combat drug traffickers and leftist guerrillas.

Uribe's government has urged both the United Nations and the Organization of American States to look into Chavez's "war threats."

The spat is unlikely to lead to war, analysts say, but it is fueling tensions on a volatile 2,000-km border where both sides have sent extra troops, and has led to a downturn in the two nations' $7 billion-a-year bilateral trade.

A statement from Venezuela's foreign ministry on Monday said the Uribe government's position was "immoral" and "shows the hypocrisy of the Colombian oligarchy."