US Welcomes Chavez Comments On Colombian Rebels

The United States welcomed on Monday statements by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urging Colombian rebels to free hostages, but Washington said Caracas should also distance itself from the rebel group. Colombia accuses the anti-U.S. Chavez of supporting the rebels, known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. But on Sunday he urged them to release unconditionally all prisoners from jungle camps, saying Colombia's decades-old civil war was anachronistic. 'Those are certainly good words,' State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. 'And we would encourage Venezuela to follow those good words with concrete actions.'
'The Venezuelan government should make every effort, public and private, to distance itself from any relationship it may have had with the FARC,' McCormack said. Chavez is under pressure over his ties with FARC after Interpol confirmed the authenticity of some rebel computer files. Columbian and U.S. officials have said the files show close cooperation between the guerrillas and Chavez' government.