EL UNIVERSAL

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez asked Manuel Marulanda, the leader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), to deliver to him the proofs of life of the hostages held by the rebel group, although the Colombian government terminated the Venezuelan ruler's mediation late Wednesday, AFP reported.

"Since the process has been kicked off, and there are certain things you cannot stop, I expect the FARC to send me the proofs of life. I am still waiting. Send me the proofs, Marulanda!" Chávez exclaimed during an act to promote his intended changes to the Constitution.

Chávez reminded again a plan he devised with President Álvaro Uribe privately in Chile to launch peace talks in Colombian mountains, if the guerrilla group released a group of hostages.

"If you (Marulanda) decided to set a group of hostages free, despite what just happened, I am ready to host them here. Venezuela-Colombia border exceeds 2,000 kilometers, the border is open, and we would be pleased to welcome them here," Chávez added.

"I do respect Uribe's decision, and I am really sorry for Colombia," Chávez commented on the Colombian ruler's move to terminate his role of mediator in efforts to achieve a humanitarian swap of 45 hostages held by the FARC for some 500 rebels who are in jail.

The Venezuelan ruler stressed that the suggestion to hold a meeting in El Caguán was a major breakthrough. "Anyone who is knowledgeable with the Colombian conflict understands the progress this means," he highlighted.
 
Spanish King, apologize
Chávez insisted that Spanish King Juan Carlos I should apologizing for the incident in the Ibero-American Summit in Chile.

"Mr. King, the least you should do is apologizing. He (the Spanish King) made a mistake. He went nuts. The King has a moral, human, and political duty to apologize. He should apologize for the sake of the personal, political, and economic relations with present Spanish government. Spain has many corporations here, and we have respected them."

Thanks, Lula
Chávez thanked his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies for endorsing Venezuelan membership in the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), Efe reported.

"Thank you, ladies and gentleman, deputies of Brazil, Lula da Silva, and the Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim. And I am going to thank personally my friend, Brazilian Vice-minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Piñeiro Guimaraes, a good friend I respect very much."

"Some people continue to say Venezuela is a dictatorship. We do not have any dictatorship here. Some people are confused, particularly because of the smear campaign waged by the media."

Translated by Maryflor Suárez R.
msuarez@eluniversal.com