BOGOTA (Reuters) – Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez  yesterday told Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to show up to  a regional summit to explain a plan to expand the US troop  presence at Colombian military bases.

The proposal to allow the US military to use seven  Colombian military installations for counter-drug operations  has soured ties between the Andean neighbours and fuelled concern  from governments across the region from Brazil to Chile.

A fierce opponent of US influence, Chavez joins other  South American leaders tomorrow for a summit in Ecuador, where  the base plan is expected to top the agenda. US ally Uribe is  not attending, but toured the region to drum up support.
“Uribe should show up, come and face the music and let’s  sit down and talk,” Chavez told local Colombian television  RCN.

Chavez portrayed the base expansion as aggression against  OPEC member Vene-zuela. Chavez had withdrawn his ambassador to  Bogota, saying the plan could spark war in South America, but  on Friday night he ordered his envoy to return to Colombia.

Colombia, the world’s No. 1 cocaine producer, has received  more than $5 billion in mostly military aid from Washington to  fight drug traffickers and FARC rebels. The base deal is an  extension of an existing military cooperation accord.

US President Barack Obama on Friday denied the United  States is planning to set up military bases in Colombia as part  of the upgraded security agreement and has no intention of  sending large numbers of additional troops.

The United States is in talks with Uribe’s government about relocating US drug interdiction flight operations to  Colombia after being kicked out of neighbouring Ecuador.

The plan is expected to increase the number of US troops  in Colombia above the current total of less than 300 but not  above 800, the maximum permitted under the existing military  pact, officials said.

Tensions between Colom-bia and Venezuela heated up last  month when Bogota charged that Caracas had supplied arms to  Colombia’s FARC guerrillas. The Andean neighbours often spar  over what Bogota sees as Chavez’s backing for guerrillas and  over Colombia’s conflict spilling across the border.