Venezuela’s Chavez says Colombian rebel’s death shouldn’t make anyone happy, calls for peace

Chavez urges peace in Colombia after rebel’s death

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says the death of a top Colombian rebel leader in a military raid shouldn’t make anyone happy and that he hopes the sides in Colombia reach a peace deal.

Chavez has often had tense relations with Colombia’s U.S.-allied governments and in 2008 he called the death of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia commander Raul Reyes in another raid a “cowardly assassination.”

But his reaction to this week’s killing of the FARC’s powerful No. 2 commander Jorge Briceno, or “Mono Jojoy,” was much calmer.

Chavez said Friday that “like the monsignor of the Colombia Catholic church said, and I say as well, one shouldn’t be happy at the death of anyone.”

He said he hopes Colombia “finds the path to a peace agreement.”