VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia - Colombian rebels on Monday said they would not now be able to release three hostages as planned, accusing the Colombian government of failing to guarantee the guerrillas’ safety.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who read the FARC announcement, said Colombian President Alvaro Uribe “torpedoed” the release effort by claiming that a little boy born in captivity to a hostage was not in rebel hands but was already found months ago. Chavez called the child theory “a bunch of smoke.” He said he knew “Uribe and his team well. They’re a team that makes up things. My experience leads me to doubt Uribe’s team and their hypotheses ...”
Chavez later said he would pursue “new options” in the release effort.
| Anything to garner more publicity for himself and more help for FARC, his kissing cousins ... |
| Uribe denied reports of fighting and said Bogota had agreed to open a safe corridor for the mission |
But Uribe denied reports of fighting and said Bogota had agreed to open a safe corridor for the mission, which is operating under the auspices of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “We were asked to establish a kind of strategic corridor. We accept this,” Uribe said, adding “there has not been any fighting in this area.”
Uribe, who arrived in this Colombian city earlier Monday to meet international observers taking part in “Operation Emmanuel,” stressed his government had provided all the security guarantees that were asked for. “What has the attitude of the FARC been? One of lies, and cheating,” Uribe said in a speech shown on television, accusing the rebels of deliberately delaying the hostages’ release.
| Question: just how tied are Chavez and FARC? FARC has several safe havens on the Venezuelan side of the border, and Chavez has to be guarenteeing their safety. Chavez doesn't have much leverage otherwise, since FARC has their own financing (drugs). So is FARC pulling his chain, or is this all a big act? |