June 09

Chávez urges the guerrillas to cease armed struggle
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez asked the new leader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) Alfonso Cano to unconditionally release all the hostages held by them and commented that the "guerrillas warfare has gone down in history" in Latin America.

"I think that there is time for FARC to free all the hostages they have in the mountain for nothing. It would be a great humanitarian token," said Chávez in his TV and radio show aired on Sundays "Aló, Presidente," AFP quoted.

"At this point, in Latin America, an armed guerrilla group is off-topic and this should be told to FARC," said the ruler.

Colombian government hopes Chávez's appeal to come true
Colombian Minister of Defense Juan Manuel Santos said on Monday that he would like the appeal made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) for unconditional release of hostages to be implemented.

"I wish it would translate into facts. Our fundamental and strategic objective is that our neighbors help fight terrorism," Santos told Bogotá's radio Caracol.

According to the official, following Chávez's remarks, "we can feel better and resume relations in good terms and to the benefit of the two peoples."

June 10

Chávez tries to be far away from FARC
It seems that the largest guerrillas in Colombia lost their last and most important ally, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. This puts pressure on the rebel group to look for a negotiated peace and free the hostages, said Alfredo Rangel, a political scientist and director of Colombia's Foundation for Safety and Democracy.
 
"The Venezuelan president's statement results from his conviction about the political and military failure of the guerrillas of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC)."
 
The Colombian analyst added that there is also the Venezuelan president's interest in "keeping publicly his distance from FARC due to the finding of several documents, through Raúl Reyes' computer, that would show the recent relations of cooperation and support between the Venezuelan government and the guerrillas."

France praises Chávez's appeal to the guerrillas
The French government valued positively on Tuesday everything that helps release the hostages held by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), such as an appeal previously made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.
 
France views as "positive anything that helps find a humanitarian solution to free the hostages, particularly Colombian-French Ingrid Betancourt," said the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Pascale Andréani, when queried about Chávez's comments.

FM Maduro echoes Chávez's appeal to FARC
Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nicolás Maduro repeated on Tuesday an appeal made last Sunday by President Hugo Chávez to the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to free "for nothing" the people kidnapped by them.

Maduro said in an interview with state-run TV channel VTV that the request to the Colombian guerrillas is but the ratification of a "historical position of Chávez government in favor of the peace process" in the neighboring country.
 
"We have had always one single position in respect of the Colombian armed conflict, and this position has been historically to pursue peace, in spite of the machinery of global disinformation to distort such a position," lamented the minister, according to Efe.

June 11

Washington Post: Chávez's turnaround on FARC is due to laptops
The "obvious explanation" for a change of mind of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez concerning the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) can be found in the laptops seized from the guerrillas last March by Colombian authorities, said The Washington Post as quoted by AP.

To date, the officials close to the president "have offered no coherent answer" to the claims of alleged contacts between Chávez and the FARC, said the daily newspaper in its editorial.

The article recalled that just five months ago, Chávez asked governments to recognize the FARC as a "legitimate belligerent force." He changed his mind last weekend when suggesting the guerrillas that they should free all the prisoners "in exchange for nothing." Also, he asked them to virtually lay down their arms, because "at this moment in Latin America, an armed guerrilla movement is out of place."

VP thinks that Interpol reports cannot be validated
Venezuelan Vice-President Ramón Carrizales doubted on Wednesday about the validity of the reports disclosed by Interpol on the computers property of Raúl Reyes, the second-in-command of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) who was killed last March.

The senior official was queried about a document of the Ecuadorian government which did not validate the information supplied by the laptops.

"No serious person can validate this information. Anybody able to read and write and with common sense can realize that such evidence cannot be used anywhere in the world," he said.

"All of us know that it is a plot and a manipulation to try to discredit Venezuela in the global ambit."

Uribe praises Chávez's call to FARC
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Wednesday described as positive statements by his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez, who last weekend asked the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to unconditionally release hostages held by the rebel group.

In an interview with Colombian radio station La FM, Uribe addressed for the first time the request made by Chávez on Sunday, who asked the FARC to free all the hostages "for nothing" and to reconsider the guerrillas warfare, reported Efe.

"I think -this is the first time I say so- that President Hugo Chávez's remarks are positive, helpful," said Uribe when journalists asked his opinion on the Venezuelan ruler' statements.

June 12

Colombian ex president eulogizes Chávez's petition to FARC
César Gaviria, Colombian former president and ex secretary-general of the Organization of American States (OAS), welcomed on Thursday a request made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez to the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to release hostages and pull out from the guerrilla warfare.

"I think it is good news for Colombia that President Chávez says so, because he has authority over FARC," said Gaviria in an interview with Caracol Radio, quoted by Efe.

Gaviria feels that Chávez's shift of attitude, who earlier this year strongly recommended the international community to recognize the rebel group as a "legitimate belligerent force," could have been as result of the finding of the laptops property of the FARC second-in-command Raúl Reyes, which suggest links between the Venezuelan government and the FARC.

June 13

Correa agrees with Chávez on the FARC
Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa said once again that the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) should give up and agreed with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez on the need of peace talks in Colombia.

"I have made the same appeal (like Chávez). What future has guerrillas that combat a democratic government?" wondered Correa, and then added, "Stop it; lay down your arms; let us start a dialogue to find peace," said the head of state during an interview on TV channel Ecuavisa.

Colombian FM augurs well for relations with Venezuela
Venezuelan-Colombian relations are getting better as Bogotá welcomed the recent remarks of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who dismissed armed struggle and asked the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to release hostages.

"Relations again are riding the crest of a wave; they are on the rise," said on Friday Colombian Minister of Foreign Affairs Fernando Araújo.

Colombia "has recorded very well President Chávez's statements in several areas, in the area of security, in the area of trade," Araújo told Caracol radio network.