US media claims FARC leader is in hiding in Venezuela

www.vheadline.com Posted: Tuesday, March 04, 2003 By: Robert Rudnicki

According to reports in the US media, the leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) Manuel Marulanda Velez is currently in hiding in the jungle in Venezuela near its border with Colombia.

The article in the El Nuevo Herald newspaper, which cites intelligence sources for the information, claims that the FARC leader entered Venezuela through Vichada State.

The information has allegedly been corroborated by Colombian Federation of Municipalities president Gilberto Toro who said "this is not a report that the Venezuelan authorities should discard, on the contrary they should investigate."

Toro called on President Hugo Chavez Frias to launch an investigation so there would be no repeat of what happened with Peru's Vladimir Montesinos, who Venezuela repeatedly denied was in the country, but proved to be there all the time.