Presidents Hugo Chávez of Venezuela and Álvaro Uribe of Colombia took a stab at mending relations yesterday after months of sniping that threatened billions of dollars in trade and unleashed a diplomatic crisis between Latin America's top US opponent and closest US ally. Chávez, who just months ago called reconciliation impossible, said the talks were aimed at a 'relaunch of cooperation, peace, and integration of Latin America.' 'We have a need to take up the path again and reactivate relations. Now that depends on many things,' Chávez said, welcoming Uribe warmly before they began closed-door talks at the Paraguana oil refining complex on the Caribbean coast. It was their first one-on-one meeting since August. Analysts say the two presidents are setting aside their on-and-off feud because each can benefit politically from normalized relations. The countries are key commercial partners, with $6 billion in trade last year, and the leaders were expected to sign accords to link the Andean neighbors with two new railways. Chávez also has reiterated his willingness to help negotiate the release of hundreds of hostages still being held by rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. Relations sank to their lowest point in decades in March after Colombia attacked a rebel camp in Ecuador. Chávez responded by briefly dispatching troops to Venezuela's border with Colombia, pulling his ambassador and threatening to cut back trade. Chávez later restored relations, something Ecuador's leftist government has not done.
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