Bogotá — CP. The Colombian President Álvaro Uribe, canceled the mediation of the Venezuelan President, Hugo Chávez and the Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba with the Farc, the leftis guerrilla that has in its power 45 persons, among them three US citizens, 5 former Congressmen, a former governor and some men of the National Army, many of them since 10 years ago.
The official communication was read by Mauricio Velásquez, the Presidencial Spokesperson, dated 21th November, 2007 and said that the President of the Republic informs that today the Senator Piedad Córdoba, called by phone the commander of the Army, General Mario Montoya, asking an appoitment and, immediatly, she gave the phone to President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela. President Chávez asked to General Montoya questions about the kidnapped by the Farc. The communication said also that during the meeting of Santiago de Chile, President Uribe told to President Hugo Chávez that he was not agree that the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela takes directly communication with the Institutional High Command of Colombia and therefore, the President of the Republic, cancels the mediation of Senator Piedad Córdoba and the mediation of President Hugo Chávez to whom he is very grateful for the help they have provided.
What the Spanish press said…
La Nación of Argentina said that Colombia canceled unexpectedly the work of mediation of the Venezuelan president before the biggest leftis guerrilla of the country to get the release of a group of hostages kidnapped, included the former presidencial candidate Ingrid Betancourt. The decisition of the presidential goverment of Álvaro Uribe shoutdown the hopes of the families of 49 hostages under the power of the Farc that trusted that the mediation of Chavez would help the release of their dear ones.
BBC Mundo (in Spanish) said that after days of expectations, unexpectedly the Colombian President, Álvaro Uribe, decided to cancel the mediation of his Venezuelan colleague, Hugo Chávez, in search for a humanitarian interchange with the guerrilla of the Farc. Hours before to the communication, Uribe said in a military graduation that his goverment has done all the efforts to get the humanitarian agreement, but the answers were only terrorist attacks.
El Tiempo of Colombia said that General Montoya did not disclose important details, but surprised by the phone call of Chávez went to Casa de Nariño and put the issue at the knowledge of president Uribe at about 14:00. The president did several consultations with different authorities and counselors. By 22:00 the decition was already taken: canceling the mediation of Chávez and Córdoba in the issue of the humanitarian interchange.
Indice Siete of Spain said that Farc has in its power the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three citizens of the United States, a former governor, five former congressmen and some militaries of the Army Force with many other people. The guerrilla wants to change their hostages by 500 guerrillians who are in the overpopulated official prisons, but the radical position of both parts has prevented any agreement. Chávez met in Venezuela with representants of Farc as a part of his mediation task and last Tuesday he went to Paris to meet the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, who is also leading a humanitarian campaign to release the Colombian-French politian Ingrid Betancourt and the other hostages.