The man who left in a refuge a boy who could be Emmanuel, the child born in captivity to hostage Clara Rojas, claimed that the boy "belongs to the guerrillas," reported Colombian government sources, as quoted by the Colombian media.

José Gómez "told investigators that the child was of the (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces) FARC," noted daily newspaper El Tiempo. According to the newspaper, the man, whose testimony was tape-recorded, "was presumably applying for the State protection."

Gómez approached the refuge authorities in late December and asked to return him the child. In addition, he told them also that he was "neither his father nor his great-uncle, as he stated initially, and had no kinship with him," the newspaper added, based on the reports from security agencies, Efe quoted.

The version provided by Colombian President Álvaro Uribe took shape last Friday during a meeting of government officials with investigators of the Attorney General Office.

The early news about the possibility that the FARC was not in possession of Emmanuel came 72 hours before been disclosed publicly. The Attorney General Office told the Colombian government about the investigations conducted due to the similarities between Emmanuel and a child named Juan David Gómez Tapiero.

In June 2005, the child was taken to the refuge by a man who claimed to be his great-uncle.

Read the special feature about the humanitarian swap in Colombia at:

http://www.eluniversal.com/CHCol_indexEng.shtml