Chavez accuses Colombia of plotting 'military aggression' against Venezuela

President Hugo Chavez on Friday accused neighboring Colombia and the United States of plotting a military "aggression" against Venezuela.

"I accuse the government of Colombia of devising a conspiracy, acting as a pawn of the U.S. empire, of devising a military provocation against Venezuela," Chavez said.

"A military aggression is being prepared from Colombia against Venezuela, and it's the United States," Chavez added, saying that Washington aims to "oblige us to respond, and later a war could be set off."

He cited intelligence reports but did not offer evidence to support that claim.

Chavez warned Colombia not to attempt a "provocation," saying it would trigger a decision by Venezuela to cut off all oil exports.

"In that scenario, write it down: The price of oil would reach US$300, because there wouldn't be oil for anyone," Chavez said. "The invaders would have to step over our dead bodies."

Chavez has repeatedly accused Washington of plotting to oust or kill him, though Friday marked the first time he has accused Colombia's U.S.-allied government in such strident terms. U.S. officials have repeatedly denied such allegations.

He spoke as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Colombia, saying that she and two other senior American officials who were in Bogota recently "came to attack Venezuela" with their remarks. Rice did not mention Chavez during her earlier public statements in Colombia.

Cesar Mauricio Velasquez, spokesman for Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, said his government had no immediate comment.

Venezuela and Colombia have been locked in a diplomatic crisis since November, when Uribe said Chavez was no longer welcome to continue mediating a hostages-for-prisoners swap with Colombia's leftist rebels.

Uribe accused Chavez of overstepping his authority by directly contacting Colombia's army chief, and Chavez responded by freezing contacts with Uribe and recalling Venezuela's ambassador in Bogota for consultations. The ambassador has yet to return.

Chavez has maintained contact with the rebels, and earlier this month the largest guerrilla group freed two Colombian women held captive for years to Venezuelan officials.

Colombia's government reacted with outrage when Chavez later urged world leaders to stop classifying the rebels as terrorists.

On Friday Chavez predicted that relations with Colombia, which he and Uribe once kept cordial, "are going to continue deteriorating" and that cross-border trade will suffer.

The tensions have been heightened by Colombian allegations that Chavez's government provides refuge to leftist rebels _ which Chavez denies.

The Venezuelan leader urged Uribe "to tie up his madmen, because he has some madmen loose (in his administration) and he's the one who is responsible." Chavez said he hopes the conflict with Colombia "doesn't continue escalating, but they've already destroyed" relations.

He spoke at a news conference with Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who offered his own barbs against the U.S., saying he'd blocked an alleged plan by American counter-drug officials to set up "a system of telephone spying" in his country.

Chavez said the United States and Colombian governments "don't want peace in Colombia because it's the perfect excuse to have thousands of soldiers there, the CIA, military bases, spy planes and who knows what other trash operations against Venezuela."

Chavez, a close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro, said U.S. President George W. Bush and his allies "think we are against the ropes, that we're weakened right now. Well, be careful."

He said it's no coincidence that Rice's visit to Colombia follows a trip there by White House drug czar John Walters, who accused Chavez of facilitating the flow of Colombian cocaine through Venezuela _ another charge he dismissed as politically motivated.

By inviting top American officials to make such allegations from Colombia, Uribe's government is transforming his country into "an aircraft carrier" for insults against Venezuela, Chavez said.