Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has said that he once held secret talks with a top leader of Colombian rebel group Farc.

Mr Chavez said he met Raul Reyes, later killed in a Colombian military raid, at the request of the country's president.

But a former Colombian peace negotiator has denied Mr Chavez's claims that any meeting was asked for by then-president Andres Pastrana.

Mr Chavez said the meeting was held at his presidential residence in Caracas.

"I once met Raul Reyes, in private and in secret," Mr Chavez said, according to Colombian and Spanish media reports.

"We spoke at dawn, because [former Colombian President] Andres Pastrana asked me to, he asked me to several times," he added.

Link claims

Former Colombian peace negotiator Camilo Gomez denied the claims, saying that Mr Chavez "is not being faithful to the truth"

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