Venezuela demands end of Colombian espionage

VENEZUELA: The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry demanded the government of Colombia to end espionage activities and destabilization plans implemented in Caracas by the Security Administrative Department (DAS).

In a protest note, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister also demands "the suspension of any activity that threatens Venezuela's sovereignty, territorial integrity and democratic stability."

According to the document, the government of this country "denounces the repeated presence of DAS officials in the nation detected carrying out espionage activities and bribery attempts, which are obviously unfriendly activities considered as crimes by the Venezuelan Penal Code."

The protest note was given to Colombian Ambassador to Venezuela Maria Luisa Chappe, as the Venezuelan government assumed responsibility in the repatriation of the bodies of ten Colombians killed in Tachira after being kidnapped for fourteen days.

Today the bodies were taken to the morgue in the city of Cucuta, Colombia, to be handed over to their relatives.

Former Vice President of Venezuela Jose Vicente Rangel denounced that DAS has an espionage plan for Venezuela dubbed Falcon, and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez and former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos as well as Gen. Freddy Padilla and former intelligence commander of military forces Admiral Alvaro Echandia are aware of it. Caracas, Prensa Latina