The Colombian government said on Friday that it did not allow Venezuela to practice DNA tests on family members of Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces' (FARC) hostage Clara Rojas because it is against Colombian law.
"Colombia has very strict laws and protocols to protect children. We do not allow the intervention of third parties," Colombia's Foreign Minister Fernando Araujo said.
"I received a letter from the Venezuelan government and I passed it over to the high commissioner for peace Luis Carlos Restrepo, but the government is not in charge of the observations, which are handled by the prosecution team and the ClBF," Araujo said, referring to Colombia's Social Welfare Institute.
The Colombian prosecution team said on Friday that the DNA tests carried out on the boy Juan David Gomez, being taken care of by the ClBF, matched DNA samples from Rojas' family members.
Rojas has been held by the FARC since 2002.
Venezuela's demand for the DNA tests requested by Rojas' mother was refused by Colombia.
The Colombian decision is "very serious and sad" and "it makes it evident that there is something strange in all this situation," Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said.
Meanwhile, Rojas' family asked the FARC to release her so they can see if her DNA tests match her alleged son.
"My sister's liberation is the most important thing. Let the world judge what they want to judge," Rojas' brother Ivan Rojas said.
"Our family is willing to adopt Juan David Gomez, but the ideal thing would be that the DNA tests would be carried out on her mother," he said.
The FARC had earlier promised to hand over Rojas, her son Emmanuel and former legislator Consuelo Gonzalez. But the release was impeded as the FARC alleged that the Colombian government had launched a military operation against them.
The Colombian government denied the military operation. President Alvaro Uribe said the FARC suspended the release because they are no longer holding Emmanuel, as the boy is in the care of the ClBF under the name Juan David Gomez.
Source: Xinhua
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