Chávez says President Uribe is his friend

President Hugo Chávez said he would talk with his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Uribe on the withdrawal of Venezuela from the Andean Community of Nations (CAN.)

Chávez claimed he is a "friend" of Colombia and Uribe, with whom the Venezuelan ruler plans to keep "both trade and political ties," despite Chávez' disagreement with Colombia-US free trade agreement.

"It is a matter of State, a matter of sovereignty. I do respect Colombian sovereignty deeply, and the legitimacy of Uribe's Government. He knows that; everybody knows that. We are friends and I am sure that we will keep talking."

Venezuelan Vice-President José Vicente Rangel, however, branded as "contradictory" Uribe's statement that Venezuela does not need to enter into free trade agreements such as the one Colombia initialed with the US because Venezuela sells oil to the US.

"It is a contradiction. I have seen oil-producing countries that have signed free trade agreements with the US, such as Mexico. And there are countries that do not have oil and have not signed free trade agreements with the US, such as Uruguay," Rangel asserted.