U.S. Report Says Venezuela Aiding Leftist Rebels From Colombia
The State Department said Monday that Venezuela allows leftist rebels from Colombia to cross with "relative impunity" into Venezuela territory to rest and regroup.

In its annual report on worldwide terror activities, the State Department said Venezuela was "was unwilling to prevent Venezuelan territory from being used as a safe haven" by rebels of the FARC and ELN, "effectively flouting U.N. Security Council resolutions."

It said the "ideological sympathy" of President Hugo Chavez for FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and the National Liberation Army, ELN, limited Venezuelan cooperation with Colombia in combating terrorism.

The report added that small amounts of weapons and ammunition, some from official Venezuelan stocks and facilities, have turned up in the hands of Colombian terror organizations.

For his part, Chavez has denounced strongly the refusal of the United States to extradite Cuban-born Luis Posada Carriles, wanted in Venezuela for the 1976 bombing of a Cuban passenger plane; all 73 people on board were killed.

Posada, a militant against Cuba's president, Fidel Castro, is awaiting trial in the United States for alleged immigration violations. He was released from a Texas prison recently after posting bond.

On April 20, Chavez accused President George W. Bush of complicity in failing to bring Posada to justice in the 1976 bombing.

"President Bush, you are a protector of terrorists. As such, you are a terrorist," Chavez said.

Venezuela claims that Posada plotted the bombing while living in Caracas. Posada has denied involvement.