Washington - The United States needs to better explain plans to base troops on Colombian soil to dampen the criticism expressed by several Latin American countries, a top US general said Thursday.

"We need to do a better job of explaining to them what we're doing and making it as transparent as possible, because anybody's concerns are valid," Marine General James Cartwright, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

With the permission of the Colombian government, the United States has begun exploring the use of bases in the country to station US troops aiding in the war on drugs.

The United States has used a base in neighbouring Ecuador, but the leftist government of President Rafael Correa has terminated the agreement and ordered US troops out of the Manta base. Washington is set to return control of the base over to Ecuadorian authorities in September.

The plans to relocate forces to Colombia has come under sharp criticism in Latin America, led by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who broke off diplomatic ties with Colombia last year and the tension has not subsided.

The United States has aided Bogota in the fight against communist FARC rebels who use the drug trade to fund the militia.

Chavez aside, concerns have also been expressed by other Latin American countries, including Brazil and Chile.(dpa)