Caracas, May 12 (RHC)-- The Venezuelan Minister of People's Power for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, urged the Colombian government to enter into political realism, out of respect for the Colombian people and clarify the situation of the Colombian Navy's ships found in Venezuelan territory.
In an interview offered this Monday to the Colombian radio station Caracol Radio, Arreaza affirmed that there are no doubts about the participation of the Colombian authorities. "The involvement of Colombian authorities is more than obvious, both by direct action and by complicity" in the failed raid of last May 3rd.
According to the Colombian authorities, these boats were "dragged by the current" in a fortuitous manner.
The Venezuelan Foreign Minister said that the return of these means will depend on the contacts established at the government level. "Yesterday, President Maduro clearly said that for the vessels to be returned there must be communication between the presidents, foreign ministers and defense ministers. Coordination would be made according to international protocols of good neighborliness," he said.
In this regard, Admiral Evelio Enrique Ramirez, commander of the Navy of the Republic of Colombia, said Monday that his country is investigating the situation with the ships and how they ended up on Venezuelan shores.
"I have just arrived from Puerto Carreño, where I was on Saturday and Sunday and I hope tomorrow to have enough elements to make the corresponding decisions," Ramírez said. The Colombian official added that there are protocols established for the mooring and securing of the ships. He also explained that the investigation seeks to define where the sentries that should guard the equipment were located.
Meanwhile, the Venezuelan foreign minister also spoke out about all the occasions in which Venezuela denounced terrorist plans and the places where the mercenaries were trained, without any action from their Colombian counterparts.
"After Clíver Alcalá's confession on a Colombian radio station on March 26th, the authorities of that country did not investigate the matter, nor did they do anything. In fact, Alcala was transferred to U.S. territory and nothing has been done by the Colombian authorities," the minister recalled.
Venezuela's top diplomat also referred to the evidence accumulated in this regard. "We have 40 testimonies from the last few days, including the two American mercenaries," he said.
Twitter temporarily suspended the account of the Foreign Ministry of Venezuela, after Jorge Arreaza offered evidence of the responsibility of Colombia and the U.S. in last week's failed raid.
