Chavez: US provoking all-out war in S. America

President Hugo Chavez has threatened an all-out war in South America should the US want to provoke Colombia to launch an armed conflict in the region.

Chavez said Venezuela could end up going to war with Colombia, warning that if a conflict broke out "it could extend throughout the whole continent."

The anti-US leader ordered the military to prepare for a possible war, addressing President Barack Obama to be cautious about any move in the region.

"Don't make a mistake, Mr. Obama, by ordering an attack against Venezuela by way of Colombia," Chavez said during his weekly television and radio program Sunday.

However, the Colombian government dismissed Chavez's threats, saying it would protest to the Organization of American States (OAS) and the UN Security Council.

"Colombia never has, and never will, make an act of war," government spokesman Cesar Mauricio Velasquez said.

A recent military agreement between the US and Colombia that gives American troops greater access to military bases of Colombia has sparked controversy in the region.

In recent weeks, tensions between the two Latin American nations have been worsened by a series of shootings.

Last week, two Venezuelan National Guard troops were killed at a checkpoint near the border in Venezuela's western Tachira state, prompting Caracas to temporarily close some border crossings.

The violence prompted Venezuela to send 15,000 soldiers to the border with Colombia on Thursday to increase security along the border.