Antonio García, the military head of the National Liberation Army (ELN), is under the protection of the Venezuelan Government at the request of Bogotá. Both Colombian Government and the guerrillas are holding an exploratory peace dialogue in Cuba, Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said Monday.

"Antonio García is sheltered in Venezuela, protected by the Venezuelan Government, not underground, but at the request of the Colombian Government," Uribe clarified during a radio interview. Uribe expressed that he was looking forward to a peace process with ELN.

The ruler recalled that he requested his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez to take the rebel leader to Havana, where the Colombian Government and ELN completed last April a third round of negotiations, AFP quoted.

García attended the last two negotiations round and visited in Colombia last April to contact civilian sectors that advocate a peaceful solution to the conflict. He was under a safe-conduct issued by Uribe's government in addition to a political status.