A Spanish judge this week formally charged Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and his government with aiding and abetting Basque separatist group ETA and Colombia’s guerrilla group, FARC, in a plot to assassinate top political leaders.

The 25-page indictment by Spanish National Court Judge Eloy Velasco orders 12 alleged members of ETA and FARC to stand trial for coercing to assassinate former Colombian President Andrés Pastrana, as well as Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and Vice President Francisco Santos during their respective visits to Spain.

“There is evidence…showing the cooperation of the Venezuelan government in the illegal collaboration between FARC and ETA,” according to the indictment.

A key figure in this case is Arturo Cubillas Fontán, who once served under Chávez as Venezuela’s Minister of Agriculture and is married to the Director General of the Ministry’s public affairs office.

According to the indictment, Mr. Fontán sought “military training for ETA members in the Colombian jungle, in exchange for ETA’s help in Spain, locating terrorist targets sought by FARC.”

The Venezuelan strongman reacted angrily to the charges, claiming it is “part of a campaign to discredit Venezuela.” During televised remarks, Mr. Chávez attacked the integrity of the Spanish government and President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. Chávez professed he has “absolutely nothing to explain to Zapatero or anybody else.”