Chavez denies supplying arms to FARC

Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez has denied the claims that his country had supplied arms to Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) leftist guerillas.

He said on Wednesday that rocket launchers and automatic rifles recently found in a Colombian rebel camp were stolen from a Venezuelan naval post 14 years ago.

The Venezuelan President told a press conference that the anti-tank launchers which were bought from Sweden in the 1980s, had been in the naval post in Cararabo close to the Colombian border. The post, he added was cleared out in a robbery in 1995.

Chavez also lashed out at Colombia over accusing Venezuela of supplying arms to FARC, terming the allegations as a “dirty move”.

He said Bogota made the allegation to divert attention from a plan to open seven military bases in Colombia to US forces, which has sparked outrage across South America.

Ties between the two neighboring countries have been strained and Chavez announced on July 28 that his government was freezing diplomatic relations with Colombia because of the allegations.