Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said Friday that he will meet with Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in the forthcoming days in renewed efforts to mediate a swap deal.
After talks with his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe, Chavez said his meeting with FARC representatives will help secure the release of hostages being held by the rebel group.
The announcement came after Chavez said at the weekend that his meeting with FARC representatives originally planned for Monday in Caracas had been suspended due to security concerns.
Chavez called on Uribe to provide a private plane to sent FARC chief Pedro Antonio Marin, who is better known by his alias Manuel Marulanda, to travel to Venezuela for the meeting.
The Venezuelan leader was displeased with Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, who said last week that FARC leaders must pay for their own travel and that it would be at their own risk because the Colombian government forces would do all they could to catch them.
"I know there are people in Colombia who want to knock this game on the head, but I also know that both Uribe and the FARC want an agreement, and I want to help them," Chavez said.
FARC proposes an exchange for 500 guerrillas with 45 hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. citizens.
U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thomas Shannon said in September that Washington supports Venezuela's efforts to facilitate the swap of hostages.
On Friday, Chavez said his newly planned meeting with FARC representatives is "indispensable" for presentation of options he has worked out to FARC chief Pedro Antonio Marin.
"I am awaiting (FARC's) answer," Chavez said.
Chavez did neither give a date for the meeting, nor its venue or names of the FARC representatives to attend it.
"We are not going to announce dates, nor locations nor FARC representatvies' names. I ignore it," Chavez said.
Chavez's mediation was proposed by Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba at the request of the families of the hostages amid fears that a rescue mission by government forces would risk the lives of the captives.
Source: Xinhua
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