The Colombian government, in a meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) on Thursday, asked Venezuela to take action to prevent guerrilla rebels whom they described as "terrorists" from taking shelter in Venezuelan territory.

Venezuela should "prevent in its territory the presence of terrorist groups which are neither attacked nor persecuted as they should and which launch attacks against Colombia," said Luis Alfonso Hoyos, the Colombian ambassador to the Organization of American States, AP reported.

"We have the right to demand Venezuela not to let people wanted in Colombia hide in Venezuelan territory, strengthen, obtain resources and prepare terrorist acts against us and Venezuelan people themselves," said Hoyos. His statements came when he opened the extraordinary session requested by the Colombian government to file a complaint about the presence of rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a guerrilla group, in Venezuela.

Colombia is filing the complaint with the OAS a few days before Álvaro Uribe hands over power next August 9 to president-elect Juan Manuel Santos.