'Foreign interference' criticized in Colombia

President Ernesto Samper of Colombia criticized "foreign interference" in
his country's politics Tuesday after a front running presidential candidate
denounced what he called a U.S.inspired "dirty war" against his campaign.

Samper,coming to the aid of his exinterior minister and righthand man
Horacio Serpa, also deplored what he described as "trafficking in the honor
of Colombians abroad."

Samper's remarks were his first about a mushrooming controversy in Bogota
over a report in this week's editions of Newsweek. The magazine quoted
senior U.S. officials, who it did not identify by name, as saying
Washington had "solid proof" of Serpa's alleged ties to the drug trade.