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 21 August 2008 21:15 BST

Latin American leaders settle differences with handshake

Saturday, 08 Mar 2008 12:55
Troop deployments had heightened fears of war
South America's week-long diplomatic crisis ended with handshakes and apologies as negotiations and diplomacy won through in Santo Domingo.

The Dominican Republic capital was hosting a Rio Group summit turned over to resolving the regional crisis, which had threatened war when Ecuador and Venezuela moved troops up to their borders with Colombia.

Leaders Rafael Correa, Hugo Chavez and Alvaro Uribe of Ecuador, Venezuela and Colombia respectively shook hands in a televised climbdown to begin the "de-escalation", as Mr Chavez put it.

A Colombian raid into Ecuadorian territory which killed a senior leader of Colombian insurgent group Farc, Raul Reyes, dead, began the dispute last weekend.

The condemnation it attracted and subsequent accusations that Ecuador was assisting Farc's activities led to the suspension of normal diplomatic ties with Colombia by Ecuador, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

Only the United States stood by Bogota, as South American left-wing nations' hostility towards the US remained an ongoing subtext.

The differences were resolved on Friday, however, with regional leaders like Brazil helping push for reconciliation.

"With the commitment to never again attack a brother country and the request for forgiveness, we can consider this grave incident as over," Mr Correa said.

Analysts say Mr Uribe's move against Farc, which has cost him diplomatic kudos, may be beginning to reap dividends in his struggle against the militant group.

Colombia announced at the summit another senior Farc leader, Ivan Rios, had been killed by his own comrades. The move suggests increasing divides within its ranks, observers say.End of story


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