Chavez Orders Troops to Border
On March 2, 2008, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez ordered tanks to its border with Colombia and mobilized fighter jets. The move was in response to a Colombian attack within Ecuador - a Venezuelan ally. Within a week, the nations involved had patched up their differences
Fast Facts
- Sent: 10 tank battalions1
- Also closed Venezuelan embassy in Bogota, Colombia
- Venezuela-Columbia border: 1,400 miles2
Background
In Columbia's incursion into Ecuador, the Columbian military killed FARC rebel Raul Reyes and 16 other members of FARC. They also acquired several laptop computers that allegedly contain evidence that both Hugo Chavez and Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa have been cooperating with FARC. All countries involved sent troops to their borders. In mid-March, 2008, Uribe pledged never to make another similar over-border incursion, and Chavez and Uribe agreed to end their latest disagreement and strengthen relations.
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