President Alvaro Uribe

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia brought what it called threats of war from neighboring Venezuela to the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday after Hugo Chavez, leader of the neighboring country, told his army to get ready to fight. For months Chavez has said that a military pact signed in October between Bogota and Washington could set the stage for a U.S. invasion of Venezuela from Colombian territory. The United States and Colombia dismiss that idea, saying their cooperation is aimed strictly at combating drug traffickers and Marxist insurgents within Colombia. During a televised address on Sunday, Chavez ordered his military to prepare for war as ... Read Full Story

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Nine Colombian soldiers were killed when their post was attacked by Marxist FARC guerrillas in a southwestern part of the country used as a cocaine smuggling corridor by the rebels, officials said on Tuesday. The offensive by about 200 grenade-throwing guerrillas showed that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) is far from neutralized by President Alvaro Uribe's U.S.-backed military campaign to crush the 45-year-old insurgency. The battle took place in the town of Corinto, located in the mountainous province of Cauca. Most inhabitants of the town are members of indigenous groups hard hit by Colombia's war. Estimates of guerrilla deaths ... Read Full Story

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia said on Sunday it will appeal to the U.N. Security Council and the OAS after Hugo Chavez, the fiery leftist president of neighboring Venezuela, ordered his army to prepare for war in order to assure peace. For months Chavez has said that a military cooperation pact signed last month between Bogota and Washington could set the stage for a U.S. invasion of Venezuela from Colombian territory. The United States and Colombia dismiss that idea, saying cooperation is aimed strictly at fighting drug traffickers and Marxist insurgents within Colombia. During a Sunday television address, Chavez ordered his military to prepare for ... Read Full Story

The 2015 Pan American Games are going to Toronto. The Pan American Sports Organization awarded the games in a secret vote on Friday with Toronto receiving 33 votes to win on the first ballot. Lima, Peru, received 11 votes and Bogota seven. One vote of the 52 was null. "This is a day of celebration, a moment of joy. We won this honor and are very thankful," said Dalton McGuinty, the premier of Ontario. "The quality of the competition was very hard. Lima and Bogota were great rivals and I'm sure that they will host the games someday." Canada has held the event twice ... Read Full Story

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia on Wednesday warned Venezuela not to brush aside last month's deaths of nine Colombians on the border as paramilitary gang violence, an incident that fueled tensions between the Andean neighbors. Ties have frayed over last month's border killings, the murder of two Venezuelan soldiers near the frontier and accusations from President Hugo Chavez that three Colombian agents were caught spying on his anti-U.S. government. Venezuela and Colombia often spar over Colombia's conflict spilling over the frontier. But the current feud is damaging $7 billion a year in trade after Chavez suspended ties and reinforced border security. Venezuela blamed last month's ... Read Full Story