Colombian president plans first visit to Venezuela since diplomatic meltdown

Venezuela says a visit from Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will reopen dialogue between the two nations. Uribe plans to meet with Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez on Friday. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday that the two leaders aim to re-establish "constructive" and "respectful" dialogue with talks on issues such as border security and energy. The visit will be Uribe's first one-on-one encounter with Chavez since Colombia's military attack in March on a rebel camp in Ecuador. That strike provoked a diplomatic meltdown, with Venezuela briefly dispatching troops to the border with Colombia. The two leaders have since sought to restore normal ties despite deep political... [read full story]