Wed, November 04, 2009
CARACAS, Nov. 3 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez announced Tuesday that his country will increase its military presence on its border with Colombia, due to the incursion of Colombian paramilitaries into its territory.
Carrizalez, also the defense minister, said that Venezuelan soldiers will act with strength to deal with the problem on the border with Colombia.
On Monday noon, two agents of the Venezuelan National Guard (GNB) were killed at the border check point in El Patoral, located between Urena and San Antonio town in Tachira state, 880 km from Caracas.
According to Venezuelan authorities, the killers crossed the checkpoint with motorbikes and shot dead the agents.
Carrizalez said one Venezuelan involved in the issue was detained and two guns were seized.
Without mentioning the number of soldiers to be deployed, Carrizalez said the killing of Venezuelan soldiers is the peak of an attempt to create panic on the border with Colombia.
Carrizalez said 11 corpses were found last week in different places of Tachira state bordering on Colombia. Nine of the victims were Colombian citizens, and the Venezuelan government has affirmed they were paramilitaries.
However, Second Commander of the Regional Command No. 1 of the Venezuelan National Guard (GNB) in Tachira, Javier Rosales, said on Oct. 30 that some 515 agents of the military police will guard the border zone in Tachira.
Venezuela and Colombia share a border of 2,220 km and they have trade of some 7 billion U.S. dollars.
