Tuesday 02

Colombia dismisses permits for FARC leaders to visit Venezuela
Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Tuesday said he would not grant any delegate of the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Force permit to travel to Caracas to attend a meeting with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, but showed certainty that they "would find a way to get there," AFP reported.

"When in the world have these 'little angels of God' called for permission? President Chávez and I have talked about this. The FARC will find a way to get there," Uribe told private radio station RCN.

Chávez, who is acting as a mediator to achieve a swap of hostages held by FARC for FARC rebels in jail, expects to meet in Caracas with guerrilla leaders next October 8. A few days later, the Venezuelan ruler plans to meet with this Colombian counterpart, seeking a rapprochement between the parties.

FARC advocates Chávez's success in agreement to release hostages
A top leader of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) wished Tuesday Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez every success in his efforts to reach a humanitarian agreement in Colombia and claimed that Colombian President Álvaro Uribe had hindered it due to his "intransigency."
 
In a statement posted Tuesday on a website that includes press releases from FARC, senior member "Iván Márquez" put the blame on Uribe for the failure to swap the people kidnapped for imprisoned guerrillas.

"If no swap has been made and continues causing suffering, it has been because of the president's wild intransigency and stubbornness," said Iván Márquez, whose actual name is Luciano Marín Arango.

Wednesday 3

French government's envoy to meet with Chávez
A delegate of the French government arrived Wednesday in Caracas, where he is scheduled to meet with President Hugo Chávez to deal with the issue of the hostages being held by Colombian rebel group FARC, diplomatic sources told Efe.

The sources claimed that President Nicolas Sarkozy's envoy is former French Ambassador to Colombia, Daniel Parfait, who is staying in Venezuela for some 24 hours in order to hold high-level meetings with local authorities.

Chávez told local official media that a French delegate would visit Venezuela soon, but would not elaborate. He refused to make comments on his Colombian counterpart Álvaro Uribe's announcement that he would not facilitate the travel of Colombian rebels to Venezuela to launch talks regarding a humanitarian swap of hostages.

Chávez did not confirm his meeting with FARC leaders next October either. This meeting was announced as part of his efforts to mediate so that FARC and the Colombian government reach an agreement to swap 45 hostages for some 500 rebels in jail.

Senator Córdoba confirms adjournment of FARC-Chávez meeting
Colombian Senador Piedad Córdoba reported Wednesday on the adjournment of a meeting between Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) to deal with a humanitarian swap and the subsequent release of some hostages.

The meeting was scheduled for Saturday, but Córdoba said she had spoken with Chávez and Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on the need to postpone it "for some days" because the legal framework was not fully clear, AP quoted.

She made particular reference to the "juridical release" of Simón Trinidad and Sonia, the FARC leaders who are imprisoned in the United States and that guerrillas may want to be included in the swap.

Chávez told that Ingrid Betancourt is alive
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez was advised that French-Colombian citizen and ex-presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, a hostage of the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), is alive.

"Yes, I was assured that she is alive," President Chávez told French weekly Paris-Match during an interview to be released on Thursday. However, the ruler could not attest to it.

"We have no grounds to think that she is dead. All the information available shows that she is alive."

Chávez reported that some weeks ago he sent a message in this regard to FARC Number 2 Raúl Reyes through Colombian Senator Piedad Córdoba, who acts as mediator on behalf of the Colombian government, AFP quoted.

"Tell Chávez that Ingrid is alive," Reyes allegedly said.

State governor complains about feeble army deployment on the border
Ex presidential candidate and governor of western Zulia state Manuel Rosales claimed Wednesday that the number of Venezuelan troops to guard the Venezuelan-Colombian border has shrunk, resulting in ready access by outlaws.

He regretted also the lack of a domestic policy concerning security in order to contain the wave of kidnappings on the border.

"The armed forces presence has dropped dramatically. Operation areas, custody and prevention units, and mobilization of troops -all of this has decreased on the border, and the guerrillas come in and go out the Venezuelan territory whenever it occurs to them," he told Unión Radio during an interview, DPA quoted.

Friday 05

Colombia sees good climate to solve border dispute
Colombian Ambassador to Venezuela Fernando Marín Valencia believes the bilateral agenda "is always hot," but over the last few days a number of major issues have been in the spotlight, namely negotiations regarding the gulf of Venezuela and Venezuelan mediation in a potential humanitarian swap in Colombia, demonstrations against toll booths on the border and Colombian businessmen's expectations ahead of the proposed changes to the Venezuelan Constitution.

"The Negotiating Committee for Delimitation of Sea and Undersea Areas (Coneg) is dealing with the issue (of the border dispute over the gulf of Venezuela). Therefore, Coneg should make any statements regarding this topic," Marín Valencia told El Universal in an interview.

According to the diplomat, Coneg delivered some recommendations to Venezuelan and Colombian presidents Hugo Chávez and Álvaro Uribe, respectively, when they met last month in Bogotá. "They will have to make a final decision."

"Colombia believes there is a good climate to move forward, with due respect for the relevant steps and for sovereignty."