Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday froze his country's diplomatic and commercial relations with Colombia and said they will not be resumed until Bogota apologizes for "the abduction of a Colombian rebel leader from Venezuela."

"With much pain I have recalled the ambassador in Bogota and he will not return until the Colombian government offers us apologies," said Chavez before the congress with regard to the presumed kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda, a top member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in Caracas last December.

"I was forced to take this decision until the sovereignty of Venezuela is vindicated," he stressed.

"What happened has no justification. Mr. President Alvaro Uribe (of Colombia), because of our friendship, and on behalf of our children and nations: I don't believe you knew about this operation which has violated the sovereignty of the Venezuelan people," Chavez added.

The Venezuelan president also said he has ordered to stop the implementation of all agreements and business deals with Colombia.

The suspension of commercial relations includes the closure of a gas-pipeline which sends fuel to northern Colombia from northwestern Venezuela.

According to Chavez, Colombian agents and five Venezuelan members of the military participated in the kidnapping.

However, Bogota said Granda was captured in the Colombian city of Cucuta on the border with Venezuela.

The FARC is the largest rebel group in Colombia, having 17,000 combatants.

(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2005)