Renata Giraldi      Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – It was not on the agenda, but a 240-page Strategic Dossier from the International Institute of Strategic Studies (a prestigious London-based think tank) entitled, “The FARC Files: Venezuela, Ecuador and the Secret Archive of “Raul Reyes,’” became public just as the foreign ministers of Brazil and Venezuela sat down for discussions in Brasilia yesterday. Antonio Patriota and Nicolás Maduro wound up discussing the dossier.

The IISS document is based on computer disks belonging to Luiz Edgar Devia Silva (aka Raul Reyes) the head of the FARC International Committee. The material was captured by Colombian military forces in March 2008, during a raid inside Ecuador. The Colombian government asked the IISS to make an independent analysis of the material.

Brazil’s foreign minister, Antonio Patriota, did not consider the IISS analysis to be of great importance. “What is important to emphasize now is that at this moment there is a new relationship between Colombia and Venezuela. The two countries have just reached an agreement on a complicated extradition. The new atmosphere in Venezuelan-Colombian relations, in spite of some domestic opposition, is positive for regional integration,” declared Patriota.

The Venezuela foreign minister did not comment directly on the IISS dossier, but cited the efforts by Venezuela and Colombia to reach an understanding on bilateral agreements. Maduro admitted that there was opposition in both countries to the efforts. As an example of the new better relations, the minister praised the extradition on May 9, of an accused drug trafficker to Venezuela by Colombia, in spite of strong pressure from the United States to send him there (the US insists the drug dealer has information about the close ties between high-rankingVenezuelan military officers, the FARC and drug traffic).

The so-called “FARC Files,” show that there were ties between the Colombian guerilla group and the governments of Ecuador and Venezuela. According to the Raul Reyes computer disks, Rafael Correa received money from FARC when he was a candidate for president of Ecuador. On the other hand, the president of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, made promises to send $300 million and weapons to the FARC guerillas (it is not clear if Chavez actually delivered any money or weapons).

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English – content modified

Link - Chanceleres de Brasil e Venezuela conversam sobre suspeita de ligação de Chávez com as Farc