The Colombian government will be “flexible” to achieve the release of more hostages held by the FARC, but will not allow the rebels any “political oxygen” through these liberations, vice-President Francisco Santos said Wednesday.
However, the vice-President told Spanish press agency EFE that Bogotá is “close to its limit” of its flexibility.
“The Colombian government has relaxed its positions and has again allowed the participation of [opposition Senator] Piedad Cordoba,” Santos said.
According to the vice-President, the problem is that the FARC sees their hostages “not as human beings, but as a commodity.”
“They just want to get political advantage or seek a symmetry between the FARC and the State. When one in the otehr side does not find mechanisms of humanitarian rationality, but a dirty political business, there is little margin one can have,” Santos said.
The FARC promised to release two of their 24 political hostages almost half a year ago. The process that should lead to the release of these two soldiers was delayed because of the incapacity of both parties to find a compromise concerning the release. The rebels wanted Piedad Cordoba involved in the liberation as a guarantee the release would be without incidents, while the government demanded the FARC to release all hostages.
The release is still deadlocked as the government demands the FARC to commit to the unilateral release of all political hostages, while the guerrillas demand the release of jailed guerrillas in return.