By IANS
Bogota : Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has said he is “ready to continue a constructive dialogue” with his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez after Bogota stopped the latter in his mediation bid with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) insurgents for release of hostages.
In an 18-point communique, the Colombian government warned that the FARC rebels have an interest in “creating divisions and antagonism between Colombia and Venezuela,” Spanish news agency EFE reported Sunday.
“We must not fall into the traps of terrorism,” Uribe said in his first statement after Chavez’s acid response to Colombia’s decision to cancel Venezuelan mediation in the search for an accord with the FARC.
Uribe said his government would continue making “every effort to secure the release of the hostages and hopes that the FARC, instead of carrying on with their terrorist stupidity, will hand over the hostages to President Chavez or President Sarkozy (of France), or to the International Red Cross unilaterally and as soon as possible.”
The message said that instead of providing proof that the hostages are alive, in recent weeks the FARC murdered 12 candidates for regional elections and tried to kill governor of Cauca Juan Jose Chaux.
“Colombia cannot permit FARC terrorists to take advantage of the grief of the hostages and their families, take advantage of international good offices, take advantage of pleas for a humanitarian accord, all to weaken our policy of a secure democracy, which is the only thing that in the end will eliminate kidnapping and restore peace,” the presidential statement said.
Bogota called off Chavez’s mediation after the Venezuelan president spoke directly with the Colombian military command, despite Uribe’s objection.
“The government cannot allow third parties to involve the Colombian military in the discussion, because it goes against our democratic traditions of unity in the armed forces,” Uribe said in his statement.
Chavez has said he feels “betrayed” and has lost confidence in Uribe, adding that the latter’s decision to terminate his efforts to secure the release of hostages held by leftist rebels will affect bilateral relations.
Chavez agreed in August to a request by Colombian opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba – with Uribe’s support – to secure the exchange of 45 high-profile hostages by the FARC for hundreds of jailed guerrillas, including those extradited to the United States.
The rebels’ captives, some of whom have been in captivity for 10 years, include ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three US military contractors.
US Ambassador to Colombia William Brownfield – formerly the top envoy to Venezuela – had sharply criticized Chavez’s mediation efforts before Uribe pulled the plug, saying, “we are 2 months and 22 days into the negotiations, and we still don’t have proof of life (of the hostages).”
Chavez, a staunch critic of the Bush administration, said Uribe took the decision “under enormous pressure” from the far right, from Washington and ultimately from the Colombian military.