FARC, Not Government,
Should Be Pressed To
Release Hostages
Colombia's army chief on
Monday called on the
international community
to press the
anti-government rebel
group instead of the
Colombian government to
release the hostages.
Rebels of the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC),
the country's biggest
anti-government guerilla
force, are "the ones
that kidnapped hostages
and have them now," said
the Commander of
Colombia's armed forces
General Freddy Padilla.
The FARC has
"ill-treated and
humiliated" those
hostages and it should
be the group's
responsibility to
release them, Padilla
said.
Padilla's remarks came
one day after the
nation's media reported
that the Colombian army
is on standby for a
presidential order to
begin military
operations to release
the hostages. But
hostages' relatives have
opposed such actions for
fear the hostages may be
killed in the attempt.
The hostage issue has
sparked a chill in ties
between Venezuela and
Colombia. Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez
had been trying to
mediate between the FARC
and the Colombian
government for the
release of hundreds of
hostages, including
Ingrid Betancourt, a
French-Colombian citizen
kidnapped in 2002 while
campaigning for the
presidency.
Colombian President
Alvaro Uribe on Nov. 21
called a halt to
Chavez's mediation role
because Chavez had
spoken directly with a
Colombian general about
the hostage issue.
Chavez responded by
putting the ties "in the
freezer" and said
Colombia deserved a
better president.
Uribe, meanwhile,
accused Chavez of
"coming to Colombia to
interfere (in Colombia's
domestic affairs) and
promote an expansionist
project" on the
continent.
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