More than 400 Venezuelan nationals rejecting the Venezuelan government's request of  belligerence status for the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) signed a document against such a petition.

Former ambassador Milos Alcalay said the document is to be delivered to the Colombian ambassador to Caracas Luis Fernando Marín.

"We Venezuelan people do not agree with a criminal organization that is holding 700 people as hostages, that is involved in drug traffic and that has performed terrorist acts and murders," Alcalay said after joining a demonstration at Brión square in Chacaíto, eastern Caracas, against the rebel Colombian group.

The diplomat echoed the petition made by intellectuals from all the political stances of Venezuela and Colombia to moderate the tone. "The situation cannot be dealt with insults towards the Colombian State, which, by the way, has been very discreet. It is necessary to moderate the diplomacy of confrontation."

A nationwide protest
In Caracas, the march scheduled to protest against the FARC headed for the Colombian Embassy at 10:30.

Meanwhile, in western Zulia state, people crowded the city of Maracaibo. They demonstrated also against the kidnapping in that region where eight people have been kidnapped so far this year.  In Maracaibo, director and editor-in-chief of daily newspaper Reporte de la Economía, priest José Palmar, said: "We want peace, we want freedom, we want life. Peace in Colombia means peace in Venezuela."

In Táchira state, on the border with Colombia, people also rallied to protest against the FARC.  "We say No to the FARC, No to terrorism," said Omar Contreras, professor of Universidad de los Andes.