Colombian President Álvaro Uribe authorized Pope Benedict XVI to
appoint the foreign “guarantor” from within the catholic church to
secure the expected release of six FARC hostages.
“If the catholic church at a national level, or even the Vatican, the Vatican Secretary of State, or the person or institution designated by His Holiness [Pope Benedict XVI] can help to ensure the hostages’ release, the government will authorize and welcome it,” uribe said Monday.
Colombians for Peace, a group of Colombian intellectuals led by opposition senator Piedad Córdoba and leading in the release of two politicians and four members of the security forces, had asked the government to allow a woman peace worker to be the foreign observer.
The FARC promised in December to release the six, but demand at least one foreign person to be guarantor for the hostage release, while the Colombian government has always opposed any foreign interference in dealings with the FARC.