Chavez admits meeting with FARC Raul Reyes and ELN (Spanish)

[Bacchus39]

he says Colombia authorized it but Pastrana denies that Colombia gave authorization at the time.

http://www.eltiempo.com/mundo/latinoamerica/chavez-si-recibio-a-raul-reyes-pero-por-la-puerta-de-atras_7415727-1




Horas antes, en unas breves declaraciones ofrecidas esta tarde en Caracas, el presidente de Venezuela admitió haberse reunido con ese guerrillero de las Farc y otro líder guerrillero del Eln.

Hours before, en a brief declaration offered this afternoon in Caracas, the Ven president admitted having met with that guerrillero from the FARC and another leader from ELN.

Sin precisar fechas, el mandatario venezolano comentó que lo recibió en la residencial presidencial llamada La Casona "siendo presidente de Venezuela, en secreto y por la puerta de atrás".

Without giving exact dates, the Ven president commented that he received Reyes in the president's residence called the Casona "being president of Venezuela, in secret through the back door".

[Bacchus39]

1. English link

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8705-chavez-admits-meeting-farc-commander.html

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Monday admitted he met with slain FARC commander Raul Reyes, before the guerrilla foreign minister's death. The socialist leader had previously denied the meeting took place.

Chavez told press about his encounter with Reyes after meeting Belarussian Alexander Lukashenko.

"I once received 'Raul Reyes', in private and in secret in the Casona. We talked one morning because Andres Pastrana asked me to," Chavez told press following questions about his alleged ties to the Colombian FARC and Spanish ETA.

The Venezuelan Head of State did not say when the meeting had taken place.

Colombia's Former Peace Commissioner Camilio Gomez, who was responsible for peace talks with the FARC during the Pastrana administration, denied the Colombian government had authorized Chavez to meet with the FARC's then number two.

"He is wrong on this. On the contrary, on more than one occasion, President Chavez suggested and requested to assist in meetings in the zone where negotiations were taking place," said Gomez. "If it happened, it was a clandestine meeting," the former official added.

Chavez' administration and security forces are accused by domestic opponents, a Spanish judge and Colombian authorities of having ties to Colombia's guerrillas.