HUGO CHAVEZ SEEKS DIPLOMATIC RESOLUTION TO FARC HOSTAGES HELD IN COLOMBIA'S JUNGLES

Finally I see someone writing an analysis of the disastrous and senseless U.S. foreign policy towards Colombia, Venzuela and the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia). Mark Weisbrot writes as a guest blogger for Post Global in The Washington Post about the release of the two FARC hostages through the efforts and negotiations of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

Weisbrot correctly describes Colombia's benighted policy towards the hundreds of FARC hostages still being held in captivity in the Colombian jungles. Colombia believes it can win militarily, negotiations be damned. This is the same policy favored by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney towards Iran. It is the same policy favored by Israel's government towards the Palestinians. Bombs, guns and missiles solve all problems.

"The Colombian government appears to believe that it can win the 40-year war through purely military (and paramilitary) means. The Bush Administration shares this view, and supplies Colombia with more than $600 million annually in military aid, which is sometimes labeled "anti-drug" aid. But there has been increasing pressure for negotiations: from inside Colombia, led by the courageous Senator Piedad Cordoba; from the families of the hostages; and from Europe – where Ingrid Betancourt, a dual French-Colombian citizen, is well-known and has much sympathy."

Weisbrot writes that Hugo Chavez, in the quest to get FARC to release the other 500+ hostages, wants to see Colombia and its president Alvaro Uribe quit referring to FARC as a "terrorist organization." Otherwise, neither FARC nor Uribe will agree to negotiate for the hostages' release.

"In the last few days, Chavez has called for the FARC to be recognized as insurgents rather than terrorists. This has been portrayed as "support" for the FARC. However, his position is the same as other governments in the region, which have consistently rebuffed U.S. pressure to officially label the FARC as a "terrorist" organization. Brazil’s government has said that to classify the FARC as “terrorist” organization would likely damage any prospects of negotiating a solution to the country’s civil conflict.
"The FARC clearly does engage in actions that can be considered terrorist, including kidnappings. However, so does the Colombian government, and over the years international human rights groups have found right-wing paramilitaries linked to the government responsible for the vast majority of atrocities. And during the last year, revelations of ties between Uribe's political allies and the death squads have severely damaged the government's reputation, and led to the arrest of more than a dozen legislators."

Hugo Chavez is the one with the break-through ideas for resolving Colombia's stand-off with FARC. If Colombia insists on pursuing a military resolution with FARC, it is fair to assume that the hostages will remain prisoners for another 20 years. This cannot be allowed to happen.