Venezuelan Army completes anti-paramilitary operation

http://english.eluniversal.com/2008/04/29/en_pol_art_venezuelan-army-c...
Venezuelan Army completes anti-paramilitary operation

The Venezuelan army completed drug-fighting Operation Sierra after sweeping a training camp attributed to the Colombia's United Defense (AUC).

"We think that it belongs to the AUC because their patches were there," said General Jesús González, the commander of the army's Special Strategic Taskforce.

The military gave the news near the presumably paramilitary camp located in the Perijá mountains, on the Venezuelan-Colombian border, western Zulia state, Efe reported.

"We think they are (AUC), but cannot have final evidence." The only "evidence," he added, are the insignias or bracelets found. "But we could not detain anybody."

The camp was found some days ago by a "surveillance patrol within the framework of Operation Sierra." It is located less than 500 meters from the Venezuelan-Colombian border, at Catatumbo municipality.

By romy on Apr 29, 2008, 22:58 in Politics & the war.

romy says on Apr 29, 2008, 22:59:

I saw this yesterday and refrained from posting it because it was only reported in ABN and Telesur up to then... now it has credibility eh?

jorgegdiaz says on Apr 30, 2008, 06:47:

I´ve seen it other places as well. But even the propaganda that is Telesur didn´t confirm it was paracos:

http://telesurtv.net/secciones/noticias/nota/27260/fuerza-armada-venez...

Fuerza Armada venezolana destruyó campamento presuntamente usado por paramilitares

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

romy says on Apr 30, 2008, 15:01:

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/colombian-militia-camp-...
Colombian militia camp found inside Venezuela
April 30th, 2008 - 7:18 pm ICT by admin –

Caracas, April 30 (IANS) Venezuela’s armed forces have discovered a camp set up by a Colombian militia group inside the country and arrested four of its members, Spain’s EFE news agency reported Wednesday quoting a top military official. The secret camp of the outlawed United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, or AUC, was found last Thursday in the western state of Zulia near the Colombian borders, General Jesus Gonzalez said, adding that the camp was set up to train the right-wing paramilitaries.

He also said that several documents, 19 uniforms with AUC insignia, weapons, munitions, explosives and 80 kgs of cocaine were found from the site.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had earlier warned about the infiltration of Colombian paramilitaries in his country, as part of a plan to destabilise his leftist government.

The AUC, blamed by the UN for 80 percent of the war crimes in Colombia’s internal conflict, demobilized more than 31,000 of its fighters between 2003 and 2006 amid negotiations with the administration of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

Made up of rural defence cooperatives formed more than 20 years ago to battle leftist rebels, most of the AUC militias degenerated into death squads, carrying out massacres of peasants, journalists and trade unionists suspected of having sympathy for the leftists.

britabroad says on May 1, 2008, 11:05:

This all smells a bit fishy to me.
The Venezuelan army find a deserted camp with some AUC armbands in it, so they say.
There are apparently numerous FARC camps inside Venezuela and they stumble on an AUC camp? Just doesn't ring true, unless the AUC have gone into Venezuela after the guerrillas themselves.

Leave the big stick at home...carry a cannon!

Mr. Hollywood says on May 1, 2008, 14:07:

Whatever. if it's true, good for them. Now they should also go clean up the FARC camps dotting the countryside.

britabroad says on May 2, 2008, 00:54:

Agreed.

Leave the big stick at home...carry a cannon!

juancegomez says on May 2, 2008, 10:39:

I agree with Mr. Hollywood, unsurprisingly in this case.