Colombian society and politicians have forgotten the hostages still
held by the FARC after the release of Ingrid Betancourt, former hostage
and politician Luis Eladio Pérez said.
“Colombian society has forgotten us. It reacted only on february 4
this year, but only because of the well known case of Ingrid. There
still are soldiers and policemen held hostage, some for ten or eleven
years and nobody does anything,” the former senator said Monday in Bogotá.
Pérez insisted the Colombian government would seek some form of humanitarian agreement to get the remaining hostages released.
“Most believe the solution to this issue is military and
justify the death of maybe 26 or 29 hostages to get to the leaders of
the guerrillas, but nobody stops and considers that most guerrillas
join the FARC into the mountains because of poverty and hunger.
Children became coca field workers. Girls of eleven or twelve years old
became prostitutes. The guerrillas reach those areas of the country and
are an option to survive, because they offer food and clothing. As long
as there is misery, there will always be breeding ground for these
armed groups.”
Pérez’ criticism was joined Monday by former president Samper, who
criticized the Uribe administration’s militaristic approach to the FARC
and lack of social insight.
“I am proud to belong to a different type of government, one that
understood not everything is solved by planes, weapons and
helicopters,” newspaper El Espectador quoted Samper.
According to the former President the government has ignored a
recent communique by the FARC calling for a humanitarian exchange
without demanding a demilitarized zone, something the Colombian
government has always refused.