Venezuelan Public
Opinion Focuses on
Humanitarian Operation
Venezuelan public
opinion has focused on
the humanitarian
operation to release
three people held by the
Colombian guerrillas, in
an effort to bring peace
to the neighboring
country.
The first stage of the
operation began when two
helicopters with medical
teams arrived in
Villavicencio, the
capital of the Colombian
department of Meta,
where ex Presidential
Candidate Clara Rojas,
her son Emmanuel and ex
Congresswoman Consuelo
Gonzalez will be
rescued.
The commissioners
appointed by the
governments of
Argentina, Brazil,
Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador,
France and Switzerland
are expecting results to
participate in the final
stage of the operation.
For their part,
Colombian authorities
appointed High
Commissioner for Peace
Luis Carlos Restrepo to
represent them during
the operation.
Venezuelan President
Hugo Chavez said the
second stage might begin
on Saturday if the
coordinates necessary to
recover the released
prisoners are set.
He added that he would
even be willing to
resume his role as
mediator to seek a peace
agreement in Colombia if
President Alvaro Uribe
approves it.
The operation is backed
up by the International
Red Cross, which has
contributed its emblems
to the helicopters and
its officials to
guarantee the
humanitarian nature of
the operation.
The mission, which is
very important because
two women and a child
will be released,
acquires greater
dimension because its
success may contribute
to building confidence
between the government
and the guerrillas if
the two parties comply
with their agreements.
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