Colombian Paramilitaries Hiding in Venezuela

The Venezuelan Army has detected a training camp for the Colombian paramilitaries in the state of Zulia, where those individuals are being held responsible for the rise of kidnapping for ransom, Operational Strategic Command chief Jesus Gregorio Gonzalez, said Sunday. “We recently discovered a training camp for the United Self-defense Forces of Colombia in Venezuelan territory. The camp was two minutes away from the border line,' the top ranking officer told the Panorama daily. Interviewed about insecurity in that western state of Zulia, ruled by opposition governor Manuel Rosales, Gonzalez said many demobilized Colombian paramilitaries are crossing the border to commit common crimes. Venezuelan ombudswoman Gabriela Ramirez told Panorama that kidnapping for ramson and the use of hired assassins are recurrent in Zulia. She called for a strategy favoring the security initiative fostered by the Interior and Justice Ministries.