Colombia has not requested the U.S. government to repatriate convicted FARC leader “Simon Trinidad” who the rebels want present at peace talks in Cuba, the U.S. ambassador told local media.
Newspaper El Espectador reported Saturday that the U.S. and Colombia were in “very advanced” in talks to allow Trinidad to join the negotiation process.
However various Colombian media reported Thursday that the U.S. ambassador to Colombia, Michael McKinley, insisted that no request has been sent by Colombia for Trinidad’s reparation.
Trinidad is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence in a maximum security U.S. prison for kidnapping three Americans in Colombia.
The FARC have long demanded that he, along with fellow guerrilla “Sonia,” be repatriated.
The U.S. has previously allowed extradited leaders of paramilitary organization AUC to take part in Colombian court cases through video conference, but has never allowed the repatriation of a top rebel or paramilitary leader.