Venezuelan Minister of Defense: Colombian irregular armed groups capture eight Venezuelan soldiers

Caracas-Sana

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino announced that eight Venezuelan soldiers were captured during clashes with Colombian irregular armed groups in the border state of Apure earlier this month.

The Telesur Channel website quoted Padrino as saying that the Venezuelan authorities are conducting the necessary contacts to release the captured soldiers as soon as possible, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating with the International Committee of the Red Cross to act as a liaison for their release and pledged not to spare any effort and exhaust all possible means to bring them back safely.

He added that these irregular groups take advantage of Colombian President Evan Duque's failure to stop their cross-border crimes, pointing out that "Colombian factions use lethal and cowardly methods such as anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices that have caused the death and injury of soldiers."