Venezuela denies link with Colombian rebels

CARACAS, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro Tuesday formally rejected allegations of his country's links with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"We have received, from the Colombian Foreign Ministry, a white plastic folder containing photocopies of papers signed with names we don't know and codes we do not recognize," Maduro said. "We do not recognize the existence of these alleged documents that we were told had survived on a FARC computer."

FARC is Colombia's largest rebel group.

Colombian government forces captured the computer during a March 1 raid on a FARC camp in Ecuadoran territory that killed the group's number two leader, Edgar Devia alias Raul Reyes, and about two dozen other members. Ecuador broke off diplomatic relations with Colombia following the attack.

The documents had already been published by Colombian media, who have been running a long-standing campaign to undermine the credibility of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Maduro said.

He called on the press to "cease their campaign against our government and restore balance and respect to the treatment of Venezuelan stories."

Maduro said Venezuela wished to move forward and improve relations with Colombia based on mutual respect, and also slammed the United States for "trying to turn this alleged computer into away of putting together a file on our nation, against the president".

Colombian media have said that files on Devia's computer showed Venezuela is financing FARC.