Colombia's President Ivan Duque claimed Thursday that the government of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela was working to acquire missiles from Iran.
"There is information from international intelligence agencies which work with us showing that there is an interest from the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro to acquire some medium- and long-range missiles through Iran," the Colombian leader said.
According to Duque, the missiles "have not yet arrived" in Venezuela, but the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino had been put in charge to acquire the weapons.
Venezuela's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza called the claim "fiction" on Twitter.
"In Colombia the massacres, unleashed violence, uncontrollable drug trafficking do not stop," he wrote.
Colombia and Venezuela share a porous 2,200 kilometer border where cocaine-, arms- and fuel-trafficking gangs have traditionally operated. The neighbors broke off diplomatic relations in 2019.
Duque has backed a US diplomatic and economic offensive against the government of Maduro -- whom it does not recognize as president, having deemed his 2019 re-election to be fraudulent.
Colombia, the United States and more than 50 other countries have instead recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president, though Maduro continues to hold the reins of power.
Maduro's government turned to Iran earlier this year to help alleviate a desperate fuel shortage after the collapse of its oil industry in the midst of an economic crisis exacerbated by US sanctions.
Iran dispatched several fuel tankers to Venezuela this year to help it solve the shortage.
Colombia is the top destination for Venezuelans who have fled their country in recent years. More than 1.7 million Venezuelans reside in Colombia.
