Colombia on Sunday ruled out a return to mediation for neighboring Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez and Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba, the Colombian government high commissioner for peace Luis Carlos Restrepo told reporters on Sunday.
"Now is not the time to re-open the door to mediation via Chavez: not while he has publicly offended the president of Colombia and while he is publicly threatening Colombia with economic reprisals," Restrepo said.
Both Chavez and Cordoba had worked from August till late November to secure an exchange of prisoners with Colombia's largest rebel group -- the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
"Venezuela's president and Senator Cordoba made many mistakes and we saw no substantive advances. Both Chavez and Cordoba continue to make announcements that astonish us. We do not see a basis," for such announcements, Restrepo added.
Speaking alongside hostages' families in Venezuelan capital Caracas on Friday, Cordoba made a public call to return to negotiations.
Chavez and Cordoba began mediating at the request of hostages' families and the French government for the release of former Colombian presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt, who also has French citizenship.
Colombia fired Chavez from the talks on Nov. 21, triggering a diplomatic crisis, saying it was angered by his speaking to a senior Colombian government general without its consent.
Source: Xinhua
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