Venezuela, Colombia make peace

The U.S. military’s Southern Command has declined to comment on claims by Chavez that the U.S. planned, directed and participated in the cross-border attack in which Reyes was killed.

Washington has given billions of dollars in military aid to Colombia and U.S. special forces train Colombian troops, but U.S. soldiers are barred by U.S. law from participating in combat operations and can fire only to defend themselves.

One of the few leaders offering support to Uribe during the border crisis was Salvadoran President Tony Saca, who said before the meeting that “Colombia has the legitimate right to go after terrorists ... wherever they may be, of course without harming the sovereignty of another country.”

Bolivia’s leftist president, Evo Morales, accused the United States of dividing a peaceful Latin America. He said that over the decades, false labels such as “communist” and “drug trafficker,” and since the Sept. 11 attack, “terrorist,” have ruined lives and justified wars across the region.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon made a similar point, without criticizing the U.S., saying that such labels are counterproductive. He advised his fellow leaders to “leave aside the adjectives” and work to improve the lives of Latin Americans.

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