By IANS
Bogota : The Colombian government has denied it interfered with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group’s planned release of three hostages.
“There is no military operation aimed at preventing the hostages from being set free,” Luis Carlos Restrepo, the Peace Commissioner of the country, said Sunday responding to the comments made by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Spain’s EFE news agency reported Monday.
In the Cuban city of Cienfuegos, Chavez Saturday said that there were groups or sectors in Colombia “close to the government, which I am certain, could try to prevent the successful release.”
Colombian Opposition Senate member Piedad Cordoba, who worked closely with Chavez on his mediation mission to ensure the hostages’ release, also said in Caracas Saturday Colombian security forces were carrying out operations that could lead to a postponement of the hostage release.
Last week, the guerrilla group said it would soon release former vice presidential candidate Clara Rojas, her son Emmanuel and former Congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez de Perdomo.
“The Colombian government has acted with enormous prudence,” Restrepo told Caracol Radio, referring to the FARC’s announcement.
In August, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe had authorized Chavez and Cordoba to mediate in a possible hostage-for-prisoner swap, but last month Uribe abruptly pulled the plug on the leftists’ efforts, alleging a breach of the ground rules.
That decision sparked a diplomatic flap between the two neighbouring countries and shattered the hopes of hostages’ release.
The FARC has been holding some 45 high-profile people in captivity, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Some of the hostages have been held in the jungle for as long as 10 years. Gonzalez and Rojas were captured in 2001 and 2002.
The biggest obstacle to a “humanitarian” exchange of hostages for prisoners has been the issue of the venue for talks.
The rebels demanded demilitarization of two towns of the southwestern province of Valle del Cauca, to serve as the site for negotiations, but Uribe administration has been opposing the demand saying the move could jeopardize the security situation.