Chavez says mediation breakoff hurts Colombia ties

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez attends a campaign rally promoting his constitutional reform in his hometown Barinas November 23, 2007.

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said on Saturday ties with Colombia had been damaged by his abrupt firing this week as a mediator in hostage talks with rebels in the South American neighbor.

"The trust has gone and that's serious for bilateral relations and it certainly will affect ties with Colombia, I have no doubt about that," Chavez told state television.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe ended Chavez's role on Wednesday in a late-night statement accusing the talkative Venezuelan of breaking an accord between the two by speaking directly to one of his generals about the hostages.

For months, Chavez had sought to persuade Marxist FARC rebels to release dozens of hostages, including a French-Colombian politician, Ingrid Betancourt, and three U.S. defense contractors held for years in secret jungle camps.

Despite little progress, U.S. foe Chavez had won international praise for his work, particularly from France.

Colombian Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo did not refer to Chavez's comments, but said on Saturday the government would keep up efforts to free hostages.

"We should not fall for the tricks of terrorists. President Alvaro Uribe reiterates his willingness to keep open a constructive dialogue with President Hugo Chavez," he said.

The Venezuelan leader is also embroiled in a diplomatic spat with Spain, threatening to review all ties after the king told him to "shut up" at a summit where Chavez repeatedly called a former prime minister a fascist.

Chavez has periodically clashed with Latin American leaders and even at times withdrawn his ambassadors in protest.

While there have been tense moments over the years with Uribe, the two ideological opposites have generally learned to work together, especially over energy projects and their nations' multi-billion dollar annual trade.

"I FEEL BETRAYED"

Initially Chavez reacted with restraint to conservative U.S. ally Uribe, who burnished his tough-guy image by ejecting the leftist firebrand from the talks.

On Thursday, Chavez said he disagreed with Uribe and complained the Colombian leader had not consulted him before announcing the move. But he also accepted the decision and even offered to try again should Uribe change his mind.

Then live on a television program that stretched into the early hours of Saturday, Chavez made clear the disagreement rose to the level of a bilateral dispute.

"I feel betrayed. I feel that my good faith was betrayed," he said, calling it absurd that Uribe did not call him first.

He had drawn Colombian complaints during the mediation by revealing negotiating positions at public events.

Chavez hosted rebels, including at his presidential palace, but failed to secure a meeting with FARC leader Manuel Marulanda or receive from the guerrillas proof that the hostages are alive in what would have been a goodwill gesture.

Last week, he hoped to show French President Nicolas Sarkozy that Betancourt was alive but he went to Paris empty-handed.

On Saturday, a Colombian senator who helped Chavez contact the rebels said she gave him a video showing one captive police officer was still alive in an apparent sign the Venezuelan's work had been making progress.

But Colombian police issued a statement saying the video was obtained weeks earlier by a reporter, independently of the mediation.

(Additional reporting by in Bogota; Writing by Saul Hudson; Editing by Stuart Grudgings)