Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez broke off relations with Colombia on Wednesday, vowing not to restore ties while President Alvaro Uribe is in power, due to the collapse of mediation talks with leftist rebels.

Uribe, Washington's top ally in South America, last week abruptly canceled Chavez's role as a mediator in negotiations with Colombia's leftist rebels over freeing hostages, sparking a war of words between the two leaders.

After recalling his ambassador in protest, Chavez went a step further on Wednesday, escalating a crisis that he has said could hurt the Andean neighbors' $6 billion bilateral trade.