Saturday 03 January
2009, San José, Costa
Rica
Panama Solidarity With
Cuban Revolution
Mexico Deports More
Guatemalans Than U.S.
Cuba Celebrates 50 Years
of Socialist Revolution
Hostages' Relatives Call
On Colombian Government
To Ease Release Process
Venezuela,
Bolivia, Nicaragua Congratulate Cuba On
50th Anniversary of Revolution
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Hostages' Relatives Call
On Colombian Government
To Ease Release Process
Bogota - Colombian
government to ease the
release of six people
abducted by the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Carlos Lozano, a
mediator in
communication with the
FARC, said the improper
remarks by high-level
officials blocked the
release of the hostages.
It is necessary for the
government to drop its
"arrogant" attitude in
order to accelerate the
release of the six
hostages, Lozano told
leftist weekly Voz.
Last December, the FARC
announced they would
release six of their
"war prisoners,"
including former
governor Alan Jara,
former local lawmaker
Sigifredo Lopez and four
soldiers.
However, the rebel group
declined to specify the
place and date for the
release.
The latest announcement
was described as deceit
and not a true sign of
goodwill by the
Colombian High
Commissioner for Peace
Luis Carlos Restrepo and
Colombian Defense
Minister Juan Manuel
Santos.
"One year ago, they were
with the story of the
delivery of Emmanuel
(son of a former
hostage) when they did
not have him, and this
year they continued to
play the same trick,"
Santos said.
Mery Moreno, mother of
one of the captured
soldiers, called on the
rebels to trust the
International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC)
as a guaranty for the
operation.
"Trust the ICRC because
it is the only one that
can help our sons to
leave the mountains,"
Moreno said.
FARC, Colombia's largest
guerilla group,
currently holds an
estimated 700 people,
with some under
captivity for as many as
11 years and waiting to
be exchanged for
imprisoned rebels.
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