South American leaders began talks in Ecuador on Thursday aimed at ending a weeklong crisis that erupted after Colombia accused Venezuela of allowing leftist rebels to seek refuge in its territory.

The emergency meeting of the Union of South American Nations brought representatives from 12 countries, but hopes were not high that the impasse would be resolved.

Before the closed-door meeting began, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said the only way to bring stability to the region was for Colombia to end its five-decade-old civil war. He also said there were no cocoa crops or drug laboratories in Venezuelan territory, despite the fact that its neighbor is one of the world's top cocaine producers.

Colombia has been asking international observers to visit Venezuela and verify the claim it made before the Organization of American States last week that 1,500 Colombian rebels are hiding out in its border region.

Before leaving for the event, Colombian Foreign Minister Jaime Bermudez told local media he did not have high expectations for a resolution.

Venezuela broke ties with Colombia July 22 as a result of the OAS meeting. Since then, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has said the accusations are part of a larger plot to invade his country for its oil wealth.