Colombia's army chief on Monday called on the international community to press the anti-government rebel group instead of the Colombian government to release the hostages.
Rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the country's biggest anti-government guerilla force, are "the ones that kidnapped hostages and have them now," said the Commander of Colombia's armed forces General Freddy Padilla.
The FARC has "ill-treated and humiliated" those hostages and it should be the group's responsibility to release them, Padilla said.
Padilla's remarks came one day after the nation's media reported that the Colombian army is on standby for a presidential order to begin military operations to release the hostages. But hostages' relatives have opposed such actions for fear the hostages may be killed in the attempt.
The hostage issue has sparked a chill in ties between Venezuela and Colombia. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had been trying to mediate between the FARC and the Colombian government for the release of hundreds of hostages, including Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian citizen kidnapped in 2002 while campaigning for the presidency.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Nov. 21 called a halt to Chavez's mediation role because Chavez had spoken directly with a Colombian general about the hostage issue.
Chavez responded by putting the ties "in the freezer" and said Colombia deserved a better president.
Uribe, meanwhile, accused Chavez of "coming to Colombia to interfere (in Colombia's domestic affairs) and promote an expansionist project" on the continent.
Source: Xinhua
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