FARC Reiterates
Conditions for Agreement
The Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia
reiterated the need to
demilitarize Florida and
Pradera municipalities
in order to move forward
on a humanitarian
agreement, according to
a letter by the group
made public on Friday.
The document was
presented to Liberal
opposition Senator
Piedad Cordoba by a
member of FARC
leadership Ivan Marquez,
who is taking part in
meetings with Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez in
Caracas in order to
advance in the
agreement.
In their message, FARC
say they are "only
requesting a
demilitarization of
Pradera and Florida for
45 days, as a guarantee
for insurgent
spokespeople to agree
with government, without
a hitch, on the terms of
the humanitarian
agreement and its
implementation."
"This is understandable,
if we take into account
that FARC is an
insurgent movement which
has not signed any peace
agreement with the
State," notes the
letter.
It adds that guerrillas
known as Simon Trinidad
and Sonia, held in the
United States, should
necessarily be part of
people released in an
eventual prisoner
exchange agreement.
Likewise, "three US
people captured in
southern Colombia as
they were carrying out
combat intelligence work
should be among those
released by insurgents."
The texts recognizes
Sonia and Simon
Trinidad' altruism, as
they expressed their
determination to remain
out of any agreement if
this contributes to its
implementation, and
warns that "they will
not be abandoned."
Finally, Marquez said in
the letter that top FARC
leader Manuel Marulanda
ordered that President
Chavez should be given
documents certifying
that the three US
people, as well as
former presidential
candidate Ingrid
Betancourt and another
people held by the
insurgents, are alive. |
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