Embassy Row: Terror in South America

washingtontimes.com James Morrison      U.S. ambassadors in South America are raising alarms about terrorism spreading throughout the continent.      Charles Shapiro, the ambassador to Venezuela, relayed his concerns last week to Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel.      "I don't want to accuse anybody, but we are on alert," Mr. Shapiro told reporters in Caracas. "We are ready to collaborate with the Venezuelan government to seek out terrorism that may exist in this country."      He said he also discussed "the possible and very probable war against Iraq" in his meeting with Mr. Rangel.      Earlier last week, Gen. James Hill, head of the U.S. Southern Command, said the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah is operating in border areas of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay and on Venezuela's Margarita Island. Colombia also has accused Venezuela of allowing Colombian guerrillas to use its territory, a charge Venezuela has strongly denied.      In Ecuador, Ambassador Kristie Kenney urged the government to control its 400-mile border with Colombia to stop drug trafficking and guerrilla activities.      She also urged Ecuador to denounce the rebels, known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), as terrorists.      The kidnappings of three American civilians and execution of one last month "demonstrates that they are terrorists," the ambassador told Ecuador's El Universal newspaper.      "Neighboring countries should help [Colombian President Alvaro] Uribe and Colombia label the FARC as what they are," she said, referring to the rebels by their Spanish initials.      The ambassador said Ecuador also can help by patrolling its border and "not leaving open escape routes for the guerrillas and drug traffickers," who often work together.