September 25
Uribe wants US congresspersons to attend Chávez-FARC meeting
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe told his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy that he would like US congresspersons to attend an upcoming meeting between Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and a delegation of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC).

At the end of his meeting with Sarkozy, Uribe told reporters that he had talked about "the possibility that some members of the US Congress, if possible a representation of both Democratic and Republican parties, would attend the meeting between Chávez and FARC representatives."

During his meeting that lasted more than half an hour, outside of the United Nations General Assembly, Uribe said that the release of the hostages held by the guerrillas "is a matter of principles," Efe reported.

Both rulers addressed the plight of the people kidnapped in Colombia, including ex Colombian presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt, who is also a French citizen, and three Pentagon advisors.

President Chávez meets with relatives of US hostages
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez would meet with the relatives of US and Colombian hostages held by the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), in addition to senior representatives of the Colombian Catholic Church, as part of his role as middleman looking for a humanitarian swap.

The meeting would be attended by 12 delegates of the relatives of the US hostages, two representatives of imprisoned guerrillas, the president of the Colombian Bishops' Conference, Monsignor Luis Augusto Castro and Father Darío Echeverri, member of the aid committee for the humanitarian swap, AFP reported.

Colombian Deputy Piedad Córdoba, the middlewoman seeking to get 45 hostages for 500 imprisoned guerrillas, will be present also, said one of her assistants.

September 26
Chávez is ready to meet with FARC leader
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez claimed he has a parachute ready to drop and visit Tirofijo, the leader of the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), the group with which he is negotiating an agreement to release hostages.

His remarks came during an interview with Colombian reporter Antonio José Caballero, aired by RCN radio network. The Venezuelan ruler highlighted the progress made in the search for an agreement between the Colombian government and FARC.

Córdoba: FARC confirms meeting with Chávez
The representatives of the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Force (FARC) agreed to meet with President Hugo Chávez next October 8 in Venezuelan territory, as part of the process to perform a humanitarian swap, said Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba.

"We received a letter from Raúl Reyes (the spokesman of FARC) congratulating him (Chávez) for his work and saying they are attending a meeting he (Chávez) proposed," Córdoba told the official news agency ABN.

The place in Venezuela where Chávez is meeting with FARC representatives has not been defined yet, AP reported.

Further, the name of the FARC leader who will attend the meeting has not been disclosed.

September 27
Colombian govn't ready to meet with FARC in Venezuela
The Colombian government said it is willing to meet in Caracas with rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), following a meeting between FARC representatives and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez next October 8, to discuss a likely swap of hostages for rebels in jail, AFP reported.

"If they are going to be in Caracas, failure to move forward and failure to find a concrete formula for the release of hostages are senseless. It would be illogical not to hold a meeting (between FARC and the Colombian government)," in Caracas, said Colombian high commissioner for peace Luis Carlos Restrepo, during a hearing in Congress September 26.

Restrepo has been authorized by President Álvaro Uribe to contact FARC, but the parties have failed to agree on a meeting so far.

Uribe's aide underscored that the Colombian government is willing to meet with FARC envoys. Restrepo said that the meeting with Chávez "is the perfect setting for this issue (the humanitarian swap) to move forward."

Restrepo warned, however, that the initiative could become entangled if the rebel group insists to demand the Colombian government to withdraw troops from two municipalities in southwest Colombia as a prerequisite to negotiate any agreement.

"We would be back to the same vicious circle," Restrepo highlighted.

Uribe welcomes US preparedness to mediate with FARC
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe welcomed the US government willingness to help mediate between the Colombian government and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), as part of the process started by Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

"Chávez has invited some US congresspersons to join him in a meeting, an initiative shared by our government, and suggested a bipartisan delegation to preserve the proximity in the relation with Colombia," said Uribe on at the plenary session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Efe reported.

He said that his government hailed Washington's "positive stance" and told the 192 UN member nations that the meeting would be held "in a short time."

"We encourage the task carried out by President Chávez and (Colombian opposition) Senator Piedad Córdoba, because we are committed to the hostages' release," said Uribe and claimed that there are not paramilitaries in Colombia, but guerrillas and drug traffickers.