Brazil Calls For Release
of FARC Hostages
Brazil favors the
release of hostages held
by Colombia's
Revolutionary Armed
Forces (FARC), the
Ministry of Foreign
Relations said Tuesday.
Calling the kidnappings
"unacceptable," the
ministry said in a
statement that hostages
who need medical care,
like former Colombian
senator Ingrid
Betancourt, should be
released promptly.
The statement
highlighted the
Colombian government's
recent offer of amnesty
to members of the
guerrilla group if they
agreed to free the
hostages, a proposed
solution that the
Brazilian government
believes authorities
should "go deeper" into.
On March 29, Colombian
President Alvaro Uribe
said that each FARC
member who releases one
hostage would be
exempted from prison.
Betancourt's son,
Lorenzo Delloye,
publicly requested
Sunday that Brazil's
President Luiz Inacio
Lula da Silva use his
influence in the region
to intervene in the
matter.
Although the ministry
emphasized that the
government is watching
Betancourt's situation
"with growing concern,"
Lula has not yet shown
signs that he will back
away from his previous
decision to only
interfere in the case
upon Uribe's request.
"The Brazilian
government renews its
permanent availability
in favor of humanitarian
actions that rely on
support from the
Colombian government,"
the ministry said.
|
|
