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FARC accused of trying to
weaken Uribe's popularity
The Colombian government Sunday
accused a main rebel group of
trying to damage the prestige of
President Alvaro Uribe by being
uncooperative with the
government's effort to reach a
hostage exchange deal.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC), Colombia's
biggest rebel force, now holds
63 hostages, including a former
presidential candidate and three
Americans.
Uribe last month accepted a
proposal by France, Spain and
Switzerland to reopen talks with
FARC on freeing jailed rebels in
return for the hostages.
Although the plan is close to
FARC's earlier preconditions for
beginning talks, the rebel group
said there would be no hostage
swap as it had not seen the
proposal.
A statement issued on Sunday by
the government's High Commission
for Peace said that FARC
intended to damage the prestige
of the president who is running
for re-election next yearas
polls show voters favor the
hostages exchange plan.
"The FARC wants the government
to pay a political cost for the
prolonged captivity of the
kidnap victims," the statement
said.
Uribe, who used to be a fierce
critic of talks with FARC and
believe that the rebels must be
defeated by force, reversed his
long-held stance by accepting
the proposal and agreed to
withdraw security forces in
order to hold talks with FARC.
Colombia's 41-year-old guerrilla
war kills thousands of people
and displaces tens of thousands
every year.
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