CARACAS, (Reuters) – Eighteen people were killed when a Venezuelan military helicopter crashed on patrol near the border with Colombia, President Hugo Chavez said yesterday.
The dead included several military officials and a civilian, he said.
“I have just received very bad news, an accident involving a helicopter of our armed forces and the death of its crew,” Chavez said during his weekly television show. He did not say what had caused the accident.
The leftist president also mentioned a U.S. anti-terrorism report which accused Venezuela of not doing enough to tackle Colombia’s drug-trafficking Marxist guerrilla groups at war with the government.
“Eighteen dead Venezuelans, now, today on Sunday, patrolling the border and the United States accuses us of not patrolling,” he said.
Venezuela has a long and porous border with Colombia which crosses remote jungle and mountain regions frequented by rebel groups and drug-traffickers.
Venezuela caught five members of Colombia’s National Liberation Army rebel group at the weekend and said they would be deported.
