|
Colombia appreciates U.S. offer
to witness talks with guerrillas
Colombia said Thursday it
appreciated a proposal by U.S.
lawmakers to join government
negotiations with a major
guerrilla group, hoping that the
U.S. gesture would encourage
guerrillas to enter the talks.
Seven members of the U.S. House
of Representatives proposed
earlier this month to accompany
any future negotiations with the
17,000-strong Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC),
the largest guerrilla group in
the country.
Luis Carlos Restrepo, Colombian
high commissioner for peace,
told Colombian radio Thursday
that he appreciated the U.S.
offer, saying "the most
important thing is the offer
from these Congress members to
go to the negotiation zone as
guarantors."
"We believe this could help give
confidence to FARC, which has
always been afraid to enter
talks," he said.
The chief negotiator said
mediation work between the
government and the guerrilla
group was already under way with
the assistance of France, Spain
and Switzerland.
The Colombian government wants
to exchange 61 politicians and
other high-profile hostages held
in secret jungle camps for an
unspecified number of FARC
guerrillas in government
prisons.
FARC, however, has been
concerned for the safety of its
negotiators and remains
reluctant to enter the talks.
"FARC chiefs are worried about
U.S. extradition requests
against several of them and that
is why they are worried that the
negotiation area could be used
to capture them," he said.
Restrepo said the authorities
would not set any traps to
capture guerillas at negotiation
meeting places or hostage
release areas.
Restrepo invited the guerrillas
to define the conditions and
location of the meeting before
sitting down to talk about a
humanitarian accord.
President Alvaro Uribe said
earlier he was taking the
negotiation proposals into
consideration, but might also
turn to force to rescue the
kidnap victims.
The 61 hostages, including three
Americans, are but a few of the
estimated 3,170 kidnap victims
held by guerrillas in the
country.
|
|
