The international police organization, Interpol, says computer files suggesting Venezuela armed and financed Colombian leftist FARC rebels are authentic, disputing Venezuelan claims of tampering.

Interpol said Thursday that Colombian authorities did not always follow internationally accepted methods for handling computer evidence, but said that did not taint the data. Interpol studied the data at Colombia's request.

Colombian authorities seized the computers during a March raid in which FARC leader Raul Reyes was killed.

Interpol disclosed its findings hours after The Washington Post reported that it has been shown files that indicate high-ranking officials in Venezuela offered to help Colombian rebels obtain surface-to-air missiles. The Post said Colombian authorities told the newspaper they had no evidence the rebels obtained the missiles.

The U.S. State Department called the Post report "highly disturbing," and said Washington is conducting its own analysis of the information.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused Colombia of fabricating the computer documents.

His government has termed the latest charges, in the Post, as laughable and lies.

Several members of the U.S. Congress have called on the Bush administration to list Venezuela as a state sponsor of terrorism.

President Chavez has dared the U.S. to put his country on the terrorism list, calling it another attempt by Washington to undermine him for political reasons. Venezuela is a major U.S. oil supplier.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, and Reuters.