Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has deployed thousands of troops to Colombia's border amid political tension between the two countries.

The Venezuelan leader also ordered the country's embassy in Bogota to shut down.

Chavez warned Colombia that Caracas will not permit acts like Saturday's killing of top rebel leader Raul Reyes and 16 other Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) at a camp across the border in Ecuador.

"Mr. Defense Minister, move 10 battalions to the border with Colombia for me, immediately - tank battalions, deploy the air force," Chavez said during his weekly TV program.

Chavez said he had just spoken to Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and Ecuador was also sending troops to its border with Colombia.

He added his Ecuadorian counterpart told him that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe had lied that the rebels were killed while asleep in their camp.

"This is something very serious. This could be the start of a war in South America," Chavez warned Uribe.

Neither Colombia's Foreign Minister nor the country's military leadership commented on Chavez's latest move.

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