Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez severs ties with Colombia

Venezuela has broken off diplomatic relations with Colombia and ordered Colombian diplomats to leave the country by Sunday. President Hugo Chavez said he had "no choice" after Colombia accused Venezuela of being a haven for guerrillas - a charge he denies.

He said that he was acting "out of dignity" in severing ties. He also ordered the military to be on maximum alert on Venezuela's border with Colombia, reports BBC News.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said the government was also considering suspending flights and cutting commercial ties with Colombia.

President Chavez made his announcement shortly after a meeting of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Washington, at which Colombia presented videos, maps and photos to back up its claims that Marxist Farc and ELN rebels have bases in Venezuela.

"We have no other choice but, out of dignity, to totally break our relations with our brother nation of Colombia," Mr Chavez said live on national television as he hosted a visit by Argentina football coach Diego Maradona.

He said the photographs shown to the OAS could have been be faked, and insisted that Venezuela was doing everything possible to stop Colombian rebels crossing the border.

"We do not tolerate the Farc in Venezuela," he said, before calling outgoing Colombian President Alvaro Uribe a "mafia boss," a "madman" and a "criminal."

He suggested Mr Uribe could be seeking a conflict with Venezuela before he left office next month.

"Uribe is even capable of setting up a fake camp in one of the jungles on the Venezuelan side to attack it, bomb it and bring about a war between Colombia and Venezuela," Mr Chavez said.

A US official was quoted by AFP news agency as saying that Venezuela breaking ties with Colombia was not a "proper way" to raise concerns.