[NYTr] Even US ex-Ambassador Brownfield Praises Chavez Efforts in Colombia Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 17:06:24 -0500 (CDT) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit excerpted from VIO Venezuela News Roundup - Oct 12, 2007 [The humanitarian hostage-for-prisoner swap being negotiated by Chavez in Colombia has garnered approval from William Brownfield, former US Ambassador to Venezuela and current Ambassador to Colombia, said "we welcome the efforts of anybody... to facilitate the liberation of all the people kidnapped, including the US citizens." Also, the Colombian newspaper El Pais is reporting that a representative of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Relations released a statement expressing China's support for the humanitarian hostage negotiation by Colombia and Venezuela. The statement of support is in addition to those Venezuela has already received from the European Union and other Latin American countries, as well as civil society organizations representing US Latinos. Reuters reports that the humanitarian undertaking by President Chavez "has improved his international image." -VIO] El Universal - October 11, 2007 http://english.eluniversal.com/2007/10/11/en_pol_art_us-backs-president-c_11A1125629.shtml US backs President ChC!vez's mediation for freedom of hostages The US government voiced support Thursday to the efforts made by Venezuelan President Hugo ChC!vez for the release of 49 people kidnapped by leftwing guerrillas, the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), including three US citizens. US Ambassador to BogotC! William Brownfield said that his government would back any effort aimed at freedom of the hostages held by FARC, Reuters reported. "Of course, we welcome the efforts of anybody, or any organization, or government, to facilitate the liberation of all the people kidnapped, including the US citizens," the diplomat told journalists. "We think though, that it is important for the organization responsible for this situation to produce something, to put something on the table, in order to show that it is taking part also in this process," he added. *** Reuters - October 11, 2007 http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1133098120071011?sp=true Chavez boosts image in messy Colombian mediation By Saul Hudson CARACAS - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has improved his international image by mediating with Colombian rebels to release high-profile U.S. and French hostages despite a sputtering start to talks. Chavez's anti-American, anti-capitalism diatribes typically distance him from Western governments. Outside Latin America, he focuses much of his foreign policy on cozying up to other U.S. antagonists such as Iran, Belarus and Russia. But the chance in recent weeks to aid his neighbor, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, has brought immediate diplomatic gains even though he has failed to arrange a first meeting with the FARC guerrillas. Chavez won praise in telephone calls with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, while the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America met his foreign minister for the first time and 41 European nations issued a statement supporting his efforts. Chavez has irritated Colombian officials with his talkative and folksy style, exposing differences with the conservative Uribe, a firm U.S. ally. But the pluses for him far outweigh the minuses. "For Chavez, the upside is obvious," said Michael Shifter of Washington's Inter-American Dialogue think tank. "The opportunity to break the long-festering hostage-prisoner impasse seems tailor-made for a man who is using his country's considerable oil wealth to finance an effort to build a Latin American alliance opposed to the United States," he said. "If Chavez can project the image of a regional leader committed to peace, that's all the better for his cause." While Chavez risks being blamed for failure, his involvement at Uribe's request is awkward for Washington. U.S. officials have accused him of aiding the rebels on his avowed drive to spread socialism and blunt U.S. "imperialism." THE CHAVEZ SHOW On Friday, Chavez visits Uribe to discusses ways to jump start talks with the Marxist rebels that were postponed this week after the two leaders argued over the logistics of his FARC meeting. For the first time in years, Latin America's oldest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, commonly known as FARC, has shifted to possibly freeing hostages by agreeing to talks with Chavez. That has raised hopes that a French-Colombian woman and three U.S. anti-drugs contractors could be freed, which would help Uribe who is facing political heat because of the deaths in captivity this year of 11 provincial lawmakers. Chavez has taken full advantage of the opportunity. On his weekly TV show, he comments on behind-the scenes negotiations, displaying his correspondence with the guerrillas, and appeals to Uribe to soften his position. Cameras have shown him meeting a Colombian senator go-between, a French envoy and hostages' families. He held the hands with children related to a U.S. captive, leading the blond boys down his red-carpeted palace steps. Still, his style brings risks. Colombia, whose aggressive stance has weakened the guerrillas in recent years, balks at Chavez's showmanship, complicating his chances of success. "The only thing his (public statements) do is stoke fear and rejection and close off the path to an accord," Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos said. "Chavez runs the risk of becoming a third player in the actual conflict if he is unable to negotiate discreetly -- and that's something many people doubt he can do," said Carlos Romero, a Venezuelan analyst of international politics. (Additional reporting by Enrique Andres Pretel in Caracas and Patrick Markey in Bogota) * ================================================================= NY Transfer News Collective * A Service of Blythe Systems Since 1985 - Information for the Rest of Us Our main website: http://www.blythe.org List Archives: http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/ Subscribe: http://blythe-systems.com/mailman/listinfo/nytr =================================================================