Colombia's FARC Says It
Will Not Unilaterally
Release Hostages
Colombia's Revolutionary
Armed Forces (FARC)
rebels said on Thursday
they will not release
more hostages
unilaterally until an
accord is negotiated in
a demilitarized zone.
FARC leaders Rodrigo
Granda alias "El
Canciller" and Jesus
Santrich said "it is not
admissible ... to ask us
for more peace signs,"
the Bolivarian Press
Agency (ABP) reported.
Granda and Santrich were
quoted as saying "the
hostages held inour
camps will only be
liberated" on condition
of "a prisoner
exchange."
The rebel leaders made
the statement after the
French government sent
an airplane to the
Colombian capital Bogota
in an attempt to provide
medical help to
kidnapped
French-Colombian citizen
and former presidential
candidate, Ingrid
Betancourt, who is one
of several hostages
being held by the FARC
in a precarious state of
health.
"We proved many times
our political
willingness to find
solutions to the
conflict and we received
insults," the rebel
leaders said in
reference to recent
tensions with the
government.
Thanks to the mediation
by Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez, the FARC
released six hostages in
January and February.
After the Colombia army
launched a military
operation against the
FARC in Ecuadorian
territory early last
month, Chavez blamed
Colombia for obstructing
his mediation to free
more hostages.
The Colombian government
said on Wednesday it
wants to rebuild ties
with Venezuela, but
prefers to let the
Catholic Church and
European envoys
facilitate dialogue with
the FARC.
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