Colombia: Uribe's Chaotic Policy on Humanitarian Missions

Bogota, Jan 8 (Prensa Latina) Sources of the Colombian government said
Tuesday humanitarian operations with the presence of other countries
will be admitted, but not clandestine actions to achieve the release of
prisoners by local guerrilla groups.

>From Casa de Narino (Presidential House) Colombian Peace Commissioner
Luis Carlos Restrepo assured warranties for the liberation of former
candidate for the Vice Presidency Clara Rojas and former deputy
Consuelo Gonzalez by the rebel forces "are still in force."

Restrepo said the Colombian government will allow humanitarian
missions, as long as "trust and respect towards the Colombian
government, discretion and communication exist."

Such statements gave another tone to what Colombian Foreign Minister
Fernando Araujo said.

"No humanitarian operations with the participation of other countries
will be allowed," Araujo had stated.

Restrepo added that if the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC)
insist on releasing Clara and Consuelo as a gesture towards Venezuelan
President Hugo Chavez, warranties will be given.

Also, Restrepo said contacts with the Venezuelan government and the Red
Cross International Committee to go forward on the liberation of the
two women are maintained.

He said the Red Cross International Committee representatives will be
transferred to the place where the liberation will take place, for them
to receive the prisoners in good security conditions.

Meanwhile, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said no
clandestine actions with participation of another country for the
liberation of prisoners by rebel groups would be allowed.

Santos pointed out that only when the Red Cross International Committee
receives the coordinates, military forces will guarantee the access for
the liberation of prisoners, but any undercover plane coming to the
Colombian national air or ground territory would be controlled.

ef tac rc PL-47

Earlier story:

Tangle in Colombia Humanitarian Ops

Bogota, Jan 8 (Prensa Latina) The Colombian government decision to
suspend humanitarian operations with foreign participation to free
those detained by the insurgency, is beginning on Tuesday to generate
conflicting reactions.

Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo said on Monday the aborted Enmanuel
operation, carried out by the Venezuelan government with international
observation, "was not a good experience, thus the government considers
that those missions should not be repeated."

Political analyst Leon Valencia considered that the government is
"obtaining a political victory over the FARC" (Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia), by proving that Enmanuel, one of the three people
the guerrillas promised to release, was not in their hands.

Valencia considered the humanitarian missions as a right of the
victims, and not allowing their participation would be isolating the
hostages, because there are no possibilities of negotiations between
the government and the FARC.

Senator Jaime Dusan, of the PDA (Alternative Democratic Pole), said
that decision makes the government start a process of direct
negotiation to achieve a humanitarian exchange, or retake the dangerous
operations to rescue the detainees by force.

He warned that the Executive is ethically responsible for protecting
the lives of those detained, and considered that ruling out
international assistance is wrong, because the country is demanding a
humanitarian agreement, and mediation by foreign actors could be
positive.

Ex foreign minister Augusto Ramirez said hindering the humanitarian
missions is inconvenient, although he considered that the leadership of
an eventual negotiation should not be in the hands of third parties.

The Episcopal Conference supported the government decision of not
authorizing the presence in the country of new international missions.

However, general secretary of that ecclesiastic authority, Monsignor
Fabian Marulanda, said friendly countries could lend great help in
demanded that the FARC release the hostages.

hr iom rc mf PL-13

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