Colombia Limits Chavez
Mediation
While the Colombian
government announced on
Tuesday that it
authorized Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez to
meet with FARC guerilla
chiefs to arrange a
humanitarian prisoner
exchange, it was setting
conditions on such a
meeting.
According to a release
read by High Peace
Commissioner Luis Carlos
Restrepo, Colombian
President Alvaro Uribe
insists that for the
meeting the Colombian
Revolutionary Armed
Forces (FARC) must
"unilaterally free a
group of hostages with
the promise to liberate
all of them, including
three North Americans."
The note added that the
Chavez-Marulanda [FARC
leader] meet would take
place in a site in
Caguan, with clear rules
and international
accompaniment and with
the promise to initiate
a peace process.
Reaffirming that the
Colombian government
trusts in Chavez'
gesture and appreciates
his commitment to this
process," Restrepo told
press that December 31
was set as the limit of
Chavez' mediation and
the government expects a
formula for prisoner
release by that time.
Restrepo explained that
the three US citizens
were specifically
included because FARC
might wish to make a
separate exchange with
the US government for
FARC guerillas Sonia and
Simon Trinidad
imprisoned in the United
States. |
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