Colombian Government
Willing To Facilitate
FARC Prisoner Release
Colombian Interior
Minister Carlos Holguin
said Sunday that his
government would
facilitate the release
of three sick former
legislators held by the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Holguin said that "it
seems to us that the
freeing of the hostages
is more important than
any other consideration,
and I don't believe we
will allow any problems
to interfere with this."
On Saturday, FARC said
in a statement that it
planned to free Gloria
Polanco, Luis Eladio
Perez and Orlando
Beltran because of
health problems.
Perez, Polanco and
Beltran were kidnapped
in 2001.
FARC said the move was
in recognition of the
persistent efforts to
seek a humanitarian
agreement by Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez
and left-wing Colombian
senator Piedad Cordoba.
Holguin said as yet no
contact had been made by
the Venezuelan
government or by Cordoba
to discuss the proposal,
which was the second
such plan in recent
months.
FARC, Colombia's largest
rebel group, has called
for intervention from
Chavez, a potential
cause of conflict for
the Colombian
government.
Colombia-Venezuela
relations have been
difficult since November
when Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe sacked
Chavez from his role as
mediator with FARC,
citing breaches of
protocol.
On Jan. 10, FARC freed
two hostages, Clara
Rojas and Consuelo
Gonzalez, saying it was
compensation for the
efforts that Chavez and
Cordoba had made.
Uribe has repeatedly
insisted that Colombia
will defeat FARC
militarily.
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