The meeting of Chavez with FARC is appointed to October 8
September 19, 2007
Relatives of those people, who have been held prisoners by guerillas for many years, came to Venezuela some time ago. They appealed to Hugo Chavez asking him to take part in the talks on exchange of prisoners. The Colombian government does not object to the mission of Chavez either.
On 18 September Piedad Cordoba brought a letter and a video film from the guerillas leaders. Some episodes of the film and a letter have been broadcast on TV. On the video Raul Reyes, the second man in FARC, thanks Chavez as well as presidents Ortega (Nicaragua), Lula (Brazil), Sarkozy (France) and many others for their assistance in establishing peace in Colombia. In the letter, written at the end of August, Marulanda writes about the importance of the meeting, necessity that Chavez should personally hear from the guerillas their point of view on political settlement of that social and military conflict that Colombia has been living through, which will add to success of his mission. At the same time Marulanda confirms his demand to the government of Colombia to demilitarise the zone of negotiations and asks Chavez to convince his colleague Uribe to take that decision. At present Uribe as it was in the case of giving out of bodies of the deceased deputies, strongly objects to the guerillas conditions. In his turn Chavez expressed willingness to go to guerillas to the Colombian selva.
The negotiations of Chavez – FARC meeting are going to be continued in the nearest days. Particularly the Senator Piedad Cordoba will fly to the USA where she will carry out talks with congressmen, democrats, and will try to convince them to that gesture of good will and exchange three US citizens to leaders of «Sonia» and «Trinidad», who are imprisoned in the USA.
The date of meeting of Chavez with FARC – October 8 - is not accidentally chosen. It will be 40 years since the death of the legendary guerilla Che Guevara.