[R-G] U.S. Grudgingly Acknowledges Chavez Role in Freeing FARC Hostages

[Yoshie Furuhashi]

<http://www.reuters.com/article/newsMaps/idUSN1010923420080110>
U.S. grudgingly acknowledges Chavez role on hostages
Thu Jan 10, 2008 3:41pm EST

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States grudgingly acknowledged
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's role in freeing two women hostages
in Colombia on Thursday but made clear it was not about to ask his
help to free three Americans there.

U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey warmly welcomed the release
of the two women held for years in Colombia's jungles by Marxist
rebels but avoided praising the leftist Chavez, an outspoken critic of
the United States who has described U.S. President George W. Bush as
the devil.

"We welcome the release of these two hostages," Casey told reporters
of former Colombian vice-presidential candidate Clara Rojas and
ex-congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez, who were being flown to freedom on
helicopters Chavez sent to pick them up.

"We are also appreciative of the leadership of (Colombian) President
(Alvaro) Uribe, in terms of trying to secure the release of these
hostages, and we welcome the good offices of any individuals who can
help secure that, in cooperation with the Colombian government," he
said.

He also called on the FARC, a peasant army created in the 1960s and
now largely funded by Colombia's cocaine trade, to release all its
hostages, who include former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid
Betancourt, who was kidnapped in 2002, and three U.S. anti-drug
contractors captured in 2003.

Casey praised the efforts of Uribe in securing the release of the two
women and said the United States would continue to work with his
government on freeing the others. He largely avoided mentioning
Chavez.

"I think that anybody, including President Chavez ... who has a role
to play that is positive and that supports President Uribe and the
Colombian government's efforts is to be welcomed," Casey said.

Asked if Washington was willing to work with Chavez to try to release
the U.S. hostages, Casey replied: "Well, we continue to work with the
government of Colombia. The government of Colombia and President Uribe
are the ones who are ultimately responsible for managing whatever
process is involved here."

He added that the United States would do "anything and everything" it
could to secure the release of its hostages but would not directly
address whether this might include talking to Chavez.

(Writing by Arshad Mohammed, editing by Cynthia Osterman)

<http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=adNDUqzU2kx4&refer=latin_america>
Colombia Rebels Free Hostages in Chavez-Brokered Deal (Update2)

By Helen Murphy and Matthew Walter

Jan. 10 (Bloomberg) -- After six years of captivity in rebel camps in
Colombian jungles, two hostages flew to freedom in Caracas today,
released in a deal brokered by Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.

Former Colombian vice-presidential candidate Clara Rojas and
ex-congresswoman Consuelo Gonzales de Perdomo stepped off a Venezuelan
helicopter Chavez sent to Guaviare, in southern Colombia, to pick up
the women let go by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. The
group had demanded their captives not be released to the Colombian
government.

``Venezuela will continue to open paths toward peace in Colombia,''
Chavez said today in comments broadcast by Venezuelan state
television.

The successful release may help Chavez save face after a previous
mission unraveled last month before television cameras from around the
world.

Venezuelan Interior Minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin put his arms
around the women, who wore sweat pants and appeared in good health, as
they walked from the helicopter to board a jet that will take them to
Caracas where family members are waiting.

Video of the release showed the two women emotionally thanking Chavez
by satellite phone as Red Cross officials signed papers presented by
gun-wielding, camouflaged guerrillas. The rebels appeared friendly and
shook hands and waved as they disappeared into the jungle. The female
fighters kissed their former captives goodbye.

Observers

Chavez's first attempt to rescue the hostages last month fizzled after
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe revealed the guerrillas didn't have a
child they'd promised to set free as part of the deal. Uribe said
Emmanuel, a boy born in captivity to Rojas about three years ago, had
been let go in 2005 and is living in Bogota with foster parents.

The group of international observers today is much smaller than in
December. Then, Chavez invited journalists and delegates from a half
dozen countries who spent days holed up at a Colombian airport waiting
for the mission to set off. Among them were former Argentine President
Nestor Kirchner and U.S. film maker Oliver Stone.

Colombia's Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo said Jan. 7 the government
wouldn't tolerate the presence of international humanitarian groups
that enhanced the credibility of the guerrillas while casting Uribe in
an unfavorable light.

`Embarrassment'

The quick release has been portrayed in the Colombian media as an
attempt by the FARC to rebuild its image and to relieve Chavez from
the public humiliation the rebels caused him.

``This was trying to compensate for the tremendous failure of the show
that was carried out and the embarrassment of the Emmanuel
deception,'' said Michael Shifter, a director at the Inter-American
Dialogue in Washington, D.C. ``Both Chavez and the FARC wanted to
recover from that.''

Chavez said he will maintain contact with the rebel group, know as the
FARC, in a bid to free more of its captives.

The U.S. welcomes the release of the hostages, State Department
spokesman Tom Casey told reporters in Washington.

``They should have never been taken hostage in the first place,''
Casey said. ``They've been held in captivity too long. And we're glad
to see that they've been released.''

Military Operations

Colombia suspended military operations in the area where the two women
were released, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said
today in televised comments.

The FARC began in 1964, when Manuel Marulanda and 48 rebels were
attacked by thousands of troops in the jungle hideout and has since
battled 11 administrations. The group turned a poorly equipped group
of peasants fighting for survival and land reform into a uniformed
army of about 17,000 fighters armed with the modern weapons, financed
by drug funds and ransom payments.

``Hopefully, now that they are free, the focus can turn to less famous
captives,'' said Rupert Stebbings, head of international sales at
Interbolsa SA, Colombia's biggest brokerage.

Casey said the U.S. will continue to work with the Colombian
government to push FARC to release all its hostages, including three
Americans.

The two hostages released were part of a group of 45 people, including
former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian,
and three U.S. contractors, being held by the guerrillas. There are an
estimated 700 other hostages that the FARC has kidnapped for ransom to
raise money for its more than four-decade fight against the
government.

Sarkozy

``France welcomes the liberation of the two hostages,'' French
President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has sought Betancourt's release, told
reporters in Paris. ``It proves that things are moving, and that the
mobilization is yielding first results.''

Rojas, 44, was kidnapped in 2002 along with French-Colombian
candidate Betancourt while campaigning against Uribe. Gonzales, 57,
has been a hostage since 2001.

Millions of Colombians protested in August after the guerrillas
murdered 11 hostage lawmakers just weeks after Uribe freed 150 jailed
guerrillas in the failed hope the FARC would move ahead with a swap of
a group of 500 jailed rebels for the 45 hostages.

To contact the reporter on this story: Matthew Walter in Caracas at
mwalter4 at bloomberg.net ; Helen Murphy in Bogota at
hmurphy1 at bloomberg.net .
Last Updated: January 10, 2008 15:51 EST

--
Yoshie
<http://montages.blogspot.com/>