Commanders of Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC deny the government has given guarantees that allow the liberation of two of the guerrillas’ hostages and the release of the remains of one.
In a statement published by FARC-friendly press agency Anncol, the guerrillas deny statements by government officials who had said Bogota had complied with the safety guarantees demanded by the rebels.
According to the FARC, the rebels are still waiting “to know the protocols that specify the official guarantees through which provocations like the ones that occurred on a previous occasion can be prevented.”
The release of one of the hostages, soldier Pablo Emilio Moncayo, was announced in April already, but has not yet taken place yet as government and rebels disagreed over the conditions of the release.
Earlier this month, the catholic church and opposition senator Piedad Cordoba, both involved in the planning of the release, expressed hope Moncayo and fellow soldier Josué Daniel Calvo, would be released before the end of the year.
In the statement, the rebels did not mention the recent abduction and death of Caqueta governor Cuellar. The government holds the guerrillas responsible for the murder.