[NYTr] FARC Thanks Chavez, Offers to Release Some Hostages Date: Wed, 19 Dec 2007 16:47:03 -0600 (CST) Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit See also: Colombia Govt Snubs FARC Offer - Dec 19, 2007 http://blythe-systems.com/pipermail/nytr/Week-of-Mon-20071217/073173.html Venezuela Information Office (VIO) http://www.rethinkvenezuela.com excerpted from VIO Venezuela Daily News Roundup - Dec 19, 2007 [News comes today that the rebel group FARC will release three hostages to President Chavez, despite the cancellation of humanitarian talks by the Venezuelan leader by Colombian president last month. The AP writes that "Many relatives of the kidnapped criticized Uribe for ending Chavez's participation just as it was starting to show results." Among those results was video footage showing proof of life for the 45 hostages. The Financial Times reports that the FARC thanked Chavez in a communique for "his dedication, his colossal effort as a facilitator, his good faith, [and] his solidarity with the peaceful cause of the Colombian people." -VIO] The Washington Post - December 19, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121802185.html Colombian Rebels Say 3 Hostages To Be Freed By Juan Forero BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombian guerrillas said Tuesday that they would hand over three hostages to Venezuelan President Hugo ChB?vez, including an aide to French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt. In a statement mailed to Cuba's Prensa Latina news agency, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, said it would free Clara Rojas, her son Emmanuel -- who was born in captivity -- and Consuelo Gonzalez, a former member of Congress kidnapped in 2001. Rojas was the vice presidential running mate of Betancourt, who was kidnapped during her 2002 presidential bid, along with Rojas, and whose captivity has generated international interest. Traveling in Uruguay, ChB?vez confirmed that he had received the FARC's offer. "I had been alerted that the liberation could occur, or that the FARC could announce the liberation of a group of people," ChB?vez told reporters in Montevideo. "This seems to be a good Christmas gift, especially for the families of these people." ChB?vez had recently been leading an effort to mediate the release of Betancourt and other hostages. But Colombian President B?lvaro Uribe abruptly ended the negotiations last month, angering the hostages' relatives. The announcement Tuesday suggested ChB?vez had made progress in the talks. In its statement, the FARC did not mention either Betancourt or the three American Defense Department contractors who have been held since their plane crashed in 2003. The plight of the hostages has taken on new resonance this year, especially since last month's public release of a long, angst-filled letter written by Betancourt to her mother. In a statement that lauded ChB?vez's mediation efforts, the FARC said, "We accept your call to liberate Dr. Clara Rojas, her little one Emmanuel and Dr. Consuelo Gonzales de Perdomo as a sign of the unquestionable hope we had placed on your role as facilitator." The statement, dated Dec. 9, did not say when the three hostages would be released, or where. But the rebels said the handover would be made directly to ChB?vez or whomever he designates. "The order to liberate them in Colombia has been made," the statement said. The FARC also labeled "unacceptable" a proposal Uribe made Dec. 7 in a bid to free the hostages. In a speech in which he likened the rebels to Nazis, Uribe said his government would be willing to meet with rebel commanders in a specially demarcated swath of rural Colombia to negotiate an exchange of hostages for jailed rebels. The FARC, in its statement, again insisted on the demilitarization of two towns near the southern city of Cali, a demand Uribe has repeatedly rejected. The Uribe government did not immediately respond to the FARC's statement Tuesday. But earlier in the day, the president, whose father was killed by guerrillas in 1983, sharply criticized the group for failing to provide proofs of life -- such as letters, pictures or videos -- of hostages held in clandestine jungle camps. The president also reiterated his call for foot soldiers in the rebel movement to desert with the hostages. "If these guerrillas demobilize and bring out hostages, Dr. Ingrid Betancourt and other countrymen, those guerrillas will enjoy liberty as much as the hostages," Uribe said. "We will give them judicial benefits and a reward." In Venezuela, the FARC pledge was good news for a government that has been reeling since it narrowly lost a referendum seeking approval for changes to the constitution. Interior and Justice Minister Pedro CarreB?o said ChB?vez's role in mediating with the FARC should not be underestimated. "There can be no sector, in Latin America or the world, that does not recognize President's ChB?vez's tireless and unwavering efforts to obtain peace in Colombia," CarreB?o said. He also said Colombia's government should "listen to these messages that the entire world has sent," a reference to calls for the Uribe administration to show flexibility in meeting FARC demands. In Florida, Lynne Stansell, whose son Keith is one of the Pentagon contractors in FARC hands, said she was excited by the developments. "We wish our son were one of the three, but we're very grateful the FARC has agreed to do this," she said by phone. Stansell said that she and her husband, Gene, had been exasperated when Uribe ended ChB?vez's mediation efforts on Nov. 21. The Colombians later charged that ChB?vez had broken protocol in his role as mediator. The Venezuelan government reacted furiously, saying that ChB?vez had been advancing and that the first hostages were due to be released before Christmas. Venezuela's foreign minister, Nicolas Maduro, accused the Colombians of bombing rebel forces and creating other obstacles for ChB?vez. "It looks as though he was advancing," Stansell said. *** The Financial Times - December 19, 2007 http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5ea5b612-adca-11dc-9386-0000779fd2ac.html ChC!vez wins Farc pledge to release hostages By Benedict Mander Colombian rebels said on Tuesday they would release three hostages to Hugo ChC!vez, Venezuela's president, including an aide to former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt held captive since 2002. Clara Rojos, her son Emmanuel, who was born in captivity, and Consuelo Gonzalez, a former lawmaker kidnapped in 2001, would be released in Colombia to Mr ChC!vez "or someone he designates", the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, said in a statement to Cuban news agency Prensa Latina. The statement, dated December 9, did not say when the release would take place. Mr ChC!vez recently put relations with Colombia "in the freezer" after Alvaro Uribe, Colombian president, cancelled his role as mediator in the hostage crisis. The leftwing guerilla group called its decision "compensation" for the families of the kidnapped and for Mr ChC!vez, whose treatment by Colombia's government it described as "diplomatic B-barbarism". Mr Uribe terminated Mr ChC!vez's role as mediator on November 21, after it became clear the Venezuelan leader had contacted Colombia's army chief despite being asked not to. Mr ChC!vez reacted angrily, calling Mr Uribe a "pawn" of the US. Videos were subsequently released showing prisoners, including Ms Betancourt, a French-Colombian politician captured during her presidential campaign in 2002, were still alive. "It was thanks to ChC!vez that we got the proof of life of Ingrid and that the problem was recognised by the international community." Lorenzo Delloye Betancourt, Ms Betancourt's son, said. "I ask ChC!vez to continue." Mr Delloye Betancourt urged the international community to increase pressure on the Colombian government to achieve the release of the 45 hostages held by Farc in exchange for 500 imprisoned rebels. Farc said Mr Uribe's offer this month of a 250-sq km "meeting point" where a possible prisoner swap could be discussed was "unacceptable". Instead, it continued to demand a larger demilitarised zone in southwest Colombia for the talks. Luis Carlo Restrepo, Colombia's high commissioner for peace, said the news should be treated with "caution", since Farc had previously said it would release prisoners without fulfilling its promise. Farc's statement thanked Mr ChC!vez for "his dedication, his colossal effort as a facilitator, his good faith, [and] his solidarity with the peaceful cause of the Colombian people". *** AP via Washington Post - December 18, 2007 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/18/AR2007121801687.html Colombian Rebels to Free 3 Hostages By Toby Muse The Associated Press BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombian rebels will hand over three hostages to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, including an aide to former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and the woman's young son, according to a statement released Tuesday. Chavez, at a summit in Uruguay, called the pledge by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, a "nice Christmas present" but noted: "They are in the middle of the jungle and I can't go and receive them personally, even if I wanted to." The FARC made the announcement in a statement e-mailed to the Bogota office of Cuba's Prensa Latina news agency Tuesday, saying it would free Betancourt aide Clara Rojas, Rojas' son Emmanuel, and Consuelo Gonzalez, a former congresswoman kidnapped in 2001. Neither Chavez nor the statement, dated Dec. 9, indicated when the three might be released. The FARC said they would be freed in Colombia to "Chavez or someone he designates." Chavez had been trying to negotiate a prisoner swap between the rebels and the Colombian government before President Alvaro Uribe called him off last month. Colombia's top peace negotiator, Luis Carlos Restrepo, welcomed the FARC's decision. "Liberating (hostages) unilaterally is always welcome and this gesture by the FARC to President Chavez we approve of. Naturally we see this as a road that can continue opening." Prensa Latina was the only news organization known to receive the statement, which it provided to The Associated Press. Rafael Calcines, a Prensa Latina correspondent in Bogota, said the statement came from an e-mail address from which the agency had received past FARC communications. "Starting today we have begun to see how we can receive these two ladies and the child," said Chavez, adding that the FARC's septuagenarian leader, Manuel Marulanda, had decided some time ago to release some of its hostages. The FARC had offered to release 46 high-profile hostages, including Betancourt and three U.S. defense contractors, in return for the release of hundreds of imprisoned rebels. Chavez was trying to work out a swap, but last month Uribe said Chavez had overstepped his mandate by directly contacting the head of Colombia's army. Many relatives of the kidnapped criticized Uribe for ending Chavez's participation just as it was starting to show results. Betancourt's mother told Venezuelan state television Tuesday that the FARC announcement was the result of work by Chavez and his fellow mediator in the case, Sen. Piedad Cordoba of Colombia. "I don't have the slightest doubt that this is because of the mediation of President Chavez and Piedad," Yolanda Pulecio said. "The only thing I ask the guerrillas is that they also think of my daughter, who is suffering so much." Cordoba said in Washington that the news of the hostage release "is true," but did not say how she knew that. She said more hostages will be released later. The FARC's statement called the decision to release the three "compensation" for Chavez and the families of the kidnapped. Rojas was kidnapped as she accompanied Betancourt in campaigning for Colombia's presidency in February 2002. A book last year by a Colombian journalist said she gave birth to a son following a relationship with one of her captors. Emmanuel is thought to be about 3. Rojas was last seen in a video released by the rebels in 2002. In May, police officer Jhon Frank Pinchao escaped after eight years in captivity and revealed Emmanuel's name, saying mother and son are kept apart. "They don't leave the baby with her," Pinchao said. "They let her see him and all, but it's the guerrillas who care for him." There has been a new sense of urgency regarding the fate of the hostages since the release last month of proof-of-life videos and letters in which Betancourt, a dual French and Colombian citizen, appeared depressed and haggard. Under intense international pressure, Uribe this month offered the FARC a 60-square-mile "meeting point" in rural Colombia, where he proposed government and rebel representatives come together unarmed to discuss a possible prisoner swap. The FARC, who are demanding a larger zone in southwest Colombia and have not agreed to go without weapons, said in the statement Tuesday that Uribe's proposal is "unacceptable," and called the president an enemy of peace. French President Nicolas Sarkozy "is delighted" about the releases, a statement from his office said, adding: "Naturally, he is awaiting the decision to be confirmed, and especially that it become a reality." Sarkozy hopes work will now begin toward freeing Betancourt and all other hostages whose health would justify a "humanitarian gesture," the statement said. *** Bloomberg - December 18, 2007 http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=akl7d1xSU_CA Colombian Guerrillas Offer to Release Three Hostages By Matthew Walter and Andrea Jaramillo Colombia's biggest rebel group said it will hand over three hostages to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez a month after Colombia ended support for his bid to win their freedom. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said it will free Clara Rojas, a former vice presidential candidate, her son Emmanuel, as well as former lawmaker Consuelo Gonzales as a gesture of goodwill toward their families and Chavez. ``They've decided to liberate a group of hostages,'' Chavez said today in a televised speech in Uruguay, in which he read aloud parts of a statement from the FARC. ``We've tried to help. We've worked hard, very hard.'' Two of the hostages are part of a group of 45 who have been the focus of negotiations between Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and the Marxist FARC group. Family members criticized Uribe for withdrawing support for Chavez's involvement in the talks, arguing the self-proclaimed socialist Venezuelan president had the best chance of securing a release. ``This is pure public relations,'' said Christopher Sabatini, a policy analyst at the Council of the Americas in New York. ``It's an attempt to bring Chavez back in, restore his international credibility, and renew demand in Colombia for his participation.'' Diplomatic Rift Uribe's decision to withdraw his support for Chavez's mediation opened a diplomatic rift between the neighboring countries and has threatened their almost $4 billion in annual trade. Chavez has said he won't maintain relations with Uribe's government, without going into details. Both countries are each other's second-biggest trading partners behind the U.S. ``Not only my family, but all of Colombia deserves this happiness,'' Ivan Rojas, Clara's brother, told Bogota-based W Radio. ``We had lost hope.'' Rojas said the last time they received proof his sister was alive was two years after she was kidnapped. French- Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and her running mate, Clara Rojas, were kidnapped in 2002 while campaigning against Uribe. Clara became pregnant with Emmanuel while in captivity. Consuelo Gonzales, who was a legislator in Colombia's lower house, has been a hostage since September 2001. The guerrillas have taken thousands of hostages for ransom to fund their 40-year battle against the government. The group of 45 captives, which also includes Betancourt and three U.S. contractors, is considered a political bargaining chip more than bait for ransom. Colombia's peace commissioner, Luis Carlos Restrepo, said today that the government hasn't confirmed the ``veracity'' of the FARC's statement. `Prudent Stance' ``We're taking a prudent stance,'' Restrepo told reporters in Bogota. ``It isn't the first time the FARC announces a release without going through with it.'' Uribe on Dec. 7 offered to negotiate a hostage swap with the guerrillas in a 150-square-kilometer (58 square miles) rural area where government forces aren't operating. He has sought to work out an exchange of the captives for 500 jailed guerrilla members. The FARC said in the statement published by Venezuela's state-run agency Agencia Bolivariana that it considers the Colombian government's proposal to create a demilitarized zone ``unacceptable.'' It also praised Chavez's ``dedication'' in the peace talks. The guerrilla group said in the statement it wants the removal of government troops from the municipalities of Florida and Pradera in western Colombia for 45 days in order to discuss a prisoner swap. The two municipalities are about 30 kilometers away from Cali, the nation's third-largest city. Chavez, who is trying to implement ``21st-century socialism'' in Venezuela, was able to communicate through letters with Manuel Marulanda, a leader of the FARC group. ``We've always said that Chavez was the perfect person for this, because they listen to him, they respect him,'' said Juan Carlos Lecompte, Ingrid Betancourt's husband, in comments broadcast by Colombia's RCN television. Chavez said today that Colombia's Uribe was following orders from the U.S. when he put an end to the Venezuelan president's involvement in peace talks. The U.S. government is against the peace process because it needs a reason to keep its military bases in Colombia, Chavez said. ``This is painful for Uribe,'' he said. ``The Colombian government is carrying a big weight, which is holding it back.'' * ================================================================= 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 =================================================================