By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BOGOTA, Colombia – Alvaro Uribe, Colombia’s outgoing President, has filed a complaint in the International Criminal Court against Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Jaime Granados, Uribe’s attorney, has also filed a lawsuit against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela at the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
According to a statement made by Granados, both the complaint and the lawsuit stem from human rights abuses by Chavez personally and by Venezuela as a state. The alleged human rights violations at issue focus on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN) being present within Venezuela’s borders.
Last month, President Uribe presented evidence which he claimed proved that the Venezuelan government allowed FARC and ELN members to operate freely in Venezuela.
The present complaint alleges that these two guerrilla organizations are training and planning attacks in Venezuela that are meant to be implemented in Colombia and against Colombian people. Furthermore, the complaint alleges that Venezuela is harboring Colombian guerrilla chiefs. Venezuelan officials dispute both claims.
Uribe’s actions came as he was leaving office to make way for the new Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos. Less than a month ago, Venezuela broke diplomatic ties with Colombia, leaving many to speculate about the strain that the complaints will put on the two nations’ relationship. To further compound matters, Uribe’s successor has indicated that he would like to strengthen ties with Venezuela. Colombian President-elect Santos did not prohibit Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro from attending his inauguration.
After receiving the sash to take office, President-elect Santos stated “[t]he word war is not in my dictionary when I think about Colombia’s relations with our neighbors.”
There is evidence that President Chavez wants to put an end to the diplomatic crisis that exists between his country and Colombia. After talks with Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and former Argentine president Nestor Kirchner, President Chavez stated that he was “prepared to turn the page completely and look to the future.”
Some, including Marcela Prieto Botero, of the Institute of Political Sciences in Bogota, believe that the difference in opinion between the outgoing and incoming Colombian Presidents could be more of a benefit than a problem. Now that Uribe has put the information on the table, Santos is free to use it and press Venezuela on action without having to accept the political accountability of being the first to make the accusation.
For more information, please see;
American Chronicle – Ex-president of Colombia Files Suit against Chavez over Guerilla Support – 9 August 2010
Merco Press – Uribe Files Complaint against Chavez before International Criminal Court – 8 August 2010
VHeadline.com – Complaint Filed against Hugo Chavez at the International Criminal Court – 8 August 2010
