Colombia’s Congress will support Senator Piedad Cordoba’s efforts
release hostages held by the FARC, new Senate president Javier Caceres
said Tuesday. The government insists the FARC release all hostages and not just two.
In a statement released by the Presidency Monday, the government reiterates that Cordoba is authorized to be present at the hostage release, but that the FARC should release all 24 members of the armed forces held hostage and surrender the remains of three hostages who died in captivity.
But the newly installed Senate President ignores the government’s condition, saying “we will give her [Cordoba] institutional backing … for her to continue with the job that has shown many results. We must continue to support Piedad Cordoba,” Caceres told Radio Caracol.
Cordoba earlier called on Uribe before to accept gradual release as the simultaneous liberation of the 24 hostages is “unrealistic.”
The FARC promised to release soldier Pablo Emilio Moncayo months ago, but efforts to capitalize this release were deadlocked over the involvement of Córdoba, who the government accuses of being an aide of the FARC. When the government accepted Cordoba’s involvement it also demanded the FARC should be releasing all hostages.
This latest demand seems to delay the release of Moncayo again.