As a Colombian it pains me to see how eager Colombians are to buy the government's lies. Ecuador and Venezuela did NOT get silence after their inteventions. Did you even watch them?. Of 29 members of the OAS 27 condemned the invasion of Ecuador. Colombia was one of the other 2 and the US didn't condemn because they know it would never happen to them. Correa was one of the first to criticise Chavez's proposal of removing FARC from the list of terrorist organizations, in clear support of Colombia's people and government. Our response was to bomb them?. If any irregluar group crosses the border illegaly it's an unlawful action, hence the name 'outlaws'. This is not the fault of either government. The legal responsibility both share is too cooperate to avoid these border crossings. The actions taken by Colombia's army are illegal and according to International Law puts them on the same footing as the people they attacked, i.e. it was a terrorist act condemnded also by the EU.

Mauricio, Bogota, Colombia

So what's it like being a working class man or woman in Colombia and working for, oooh, let's say a Coca Cola bottling plant and getting assassinated.
You have the highest number of anti-union assassinations in the world, don't you?
I bet you don't get upset about that.
I haven't lived in Colombia, but I have lived in Bolivia and seen first hand the same vicious and violent reaction against the poor unleashed by the local landowning rich and shamefully backed by the US that gave birth to the Colombian war.It's more or less the same paradigm.There are obviously differences, but deep similarities, too.
I'll gladly lend my puny name to any attempt for the FARC to lay down their arms and have anyone accused of rape, torture or murder to be processed in an international court - though I'd guess the US might not recognise it - if you do all you can to help the millions of latin americans who are exploited by the wealthy in their countries to get their societies to work a bit fairer.

I Crause, London,

Everyone is ignoring the fundamental issue of this “conflict”. It was Colombia who entered a neighboring country without permission to carry a military operation and then lied about the details of the operation. Ecuador has always expressed its reluctance to be drawn into Colombia’s internal conflict and its lacks of resources (we don’t received billions of dollars from the White House in military aid) to extensively patrol its border. It is Colombia’s responsibility to contain its internal war within their borders and request help/access when needed.
International law clearly states that the trespassing of borders by foreign military forces is illegal.
Venezuela’s involvement is purely political and is overshadowing a clear violation of the territorial rights of a peaceful and sovereign country.

Andres, London,

Alvaro Uribe is constantly attacked by neighbouring governments and citizens around the world who have no understanding of Colombia's complex problems and the reasons behind certain policies. Those who consider him a paramilitary supporter should check that their information sources are not guerrilla groups and their representatives who travel freely around the world attempting to convince NGO's and other reputable organisations that their astounding violence and cruelty is somehow based in Marxist ideals. Nowhere does Herr Marx recommend keeping sick and dying hostages chained around the neck for ten years or more.

V Rendell, Wiltshire, UK

Hugo Chavez is desparately trying to insert into a conflict between Colombia and Ecuador. His desire to see unrest spread across Bolivarian states and Latin America betrays his goal of self promotion at the expense of peace and stabiity. If he did fund the FARC rebels, there should be a very serious international response.

Mark, Pittsburgh, USA

Mr. Crause, you have obviously no idea what it like to live in a state terrorised by a organisation claiming to be Marxist, but being nothing else than ruthless criminals. Your ideas are ideology driven but have nothing to do with reality.
Roul Reyes was the backbone of the radical wing of the FARC, and taking him out may open the door for substantial advances towards a peaceful live in Colombia. Naturally, Chavez is furious as he lost his self designated role in the hostage crisis. It will be harder and harder for this Mussolini look-alike to distract the Venezuelan people from the disastrous results of his politics. Falling back on the well known mechanism to start an external crisis may raise his hopes to regain some of his diminishing popularity. However, he should know that starting a war would only accelerate his end.

Claus M., Bogotá, Colombia

After speaking at the emergency meeting of the American Nations Colombia received 10 seconds of applause after declaring "If you can expel representatives of a democratically elected government then why can you not expel the terrorists from within your borders?"

Ecuador after speaking received... silence.

Venezuela received... silence.

The international community know that Ecuador and Venezuela are in the wrong.

Graeme, Colombia,

Does Venezuela plan to have WMDs? I think it is the duty and responsibility of the US to invade and take out the leadership. This is a war the US will enjoy being much closer to home.

S K LIN, Hong KOng, China

Nobody in Venezuela has the stomach for a war with a highly trained and experienced Colombian army and a ridiculous reason. Indeed Chavez is just using this as an excuse to take attention away for his ridiculous policies and failing popularity. He accuses Colombia of being a terrorist state when everybody knows that Venezuela is nothing more than a fence for FARC.
Chavez is capable of anything disastrous but if he gives his troops the order to attack he will probably receive a nasty surprise when his troops decline.

boris nightingale, Maracaibo, Venezuela,

i'm from colombia and i have to tell you that Hugo Chavez is promoting terrorism in latin america, with the money that he gets with petroleum, he openly supports FARC the first terrorist organization of latin america. so i beg for your support against terrorism and any kind of violence on head of his first promoter in this side of the world Hugo Chavez

miguel gonzalez, bogota, colombia

Mr Crause, very clever writing, but it can be seen that you have no clue what it is like being a colombian and actually live in flesh what the 'heroes' leaders of the FARC do in their crusade. We colombians, disregarding political believes, social status and economical situation, want an end to this cancer that is consuming us. The reasons why these groups were created more than 40 years ago do not exist any longer. Did you know that during the last decade 2 other guerrilla organisations have given up their weapons and have become political parties?? Are you aware that one of the FARC requests for the 'humanitarian exchange' is that the government grants them 2 whole de-militarised villages. They have no plans to back up an inch, and therefore they will have to pay a big prize for their stubborness now that finally there is a government that is acting efficiently on behalf of most of Colombian citizens. The time has come for The FARC and their brutality to stop.

M Vesga, Manchester, UK

Paramilitarism, guerillas fighting, terrorism, manipulation, intervention, drug trafficking, corruption, activists and politicians assasinations and kidnaping, mass murdering...the same history told over and over again by lobbying human rights activists. While this happens Colombians have to live, work eat and love their country and their president, the only person who is strong enough to fight them all. Now, Britain has backed invasion of Irak in self defence, Colombia has its own right to defend itself from false guerrila values (together with all the repercusions in the first factors this have), Colombia needs the support of the International community to fight this war and not leave the Colombians fight this war on their own. Colombians are tired of "people pointing fingers" at us as if we all were drug traffickers, but we don't care any more, because united we are stronger!

Adrian A, London, UK

As Colombian, your comment really hurts. I can't understand how international people keep supporting the FARC. For God sake, you haven't been there, you don't know what it feels as Colombian, when so many people get killed or kidnapped. Both, Paramilitares and FARC are disgusting people, terrorists, murderers, violators of human rights.

This is not a war between FARC and PAramilitares, this is a war against both of them!!! Go and live in Colombia and then release your comment!

Johana , Toowoomba, Australia

Perhaps, while Chavez is getting processed to see if his govt did give the FARC the money, the international legal institutions can speak to latin based human rights organisations to see if the Colombian govt. there has any ties to the paramilitaries who have raped and tortured and murdered entire villages of peasants they believed harboured leftwing sympathies, and whether the Uribe govt has any connection with the recent assassinations of union activists striking for higher than penury wages at Coca Cola's Colombian bottling plants.Or even whether Coca Cola itself was involved in this Pinkerton Gang era activity.
Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world for a working man or woman to be a part of a union.
Let the international community and media check out .
Still, if it is the same smear tactic which allowed Gorgeous George so hilariously to shout down and verbally abuse the Republican Senate as if they were merely supply teachers, bring it on.It should be a right laugh

I Crause, London,

This stinks of US intel.

I Crause, London,