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Nicaraguan Right Unity
Pact in Doubt
Honduras, Venezuela
Boost Agreements
Colom, New Guatemala
President
Brazil Urges Colombia,
Rebels to Negotiate
Release of More Hostages
Colombian
Army Searching For Six Kidnapped
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Brazil Urges Colombia,
Rebels to Negotiate
Release of More Hostages
Brazilian President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva
Monday urged Colombian
President Alvaro Uribe
and the leaders of the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC)
to negotiate the release
of other hostages held
by the rebels.
Brazil will work for the
release of more people
held hostage by the FARC,
for it is a humanitarian
issue, Lula said in his
weekly radio program.
Brazil has offered
support to the recent
release of former
vice-presidential
candidate Clara Rojas
and former congresswoman
Consuelo Gonzalez in the
international operation
led by Venezuela last
week, he added.
The president's
assistant for foreign
affairs Marco Aurelio
Garcia has taken part in
the first failed
international rescuing
operation in late
December.
After almost six years
in captivity, Rojas and
Gonzalez were released
by the FARC on Jan. 9.
Both were picked up by
helicopters from the
Colombian jungle and
then transported to
Venezuela.
Lula said the release
could be a sign for the
release of other
hostages.
"Therefore, the request
I make is that the
Colombian government and
my friend, President
Uribe, as well as the
leaders of the FARC
reach an agreement in
order to release more
people kept captive,"
Lula said.
The FARC has offered a
release of 45 hostages
in exchange for the
release of 500 members
of the rebel group.
People held by FARC
include soldiers, cops,
the former presidential
candidate Ingrid
Betabncourt and three
U.S. citizens. The
rebels claimed the U.S.
citizens were undercover
spies.
The FARC refuses the
label "hostages," and
regards those held
captive as "war
prisoners."
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