Colombian rebels say open to hostage dialogue

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Reuters

Colombia's FARC guerrillas are willing to enter talks with a group of academics, politicians and former captives who offered to broker negotiations about hostages held for years in jungle camps, the rebels said.

Attempts at talks between President Alvaro Uribe's government and the FARC are stalled over a rebel demand the state demilitarize a safe haven to guarantee security for the release of captive politicians, soldiers and police officers.

Latin America's oldest insurgency, the FARC has said before that there could be no hostage exchange under Uribe, a Washington ally whose troops have severely weakened the rebels with help of billions of dollars in U.S. military aid.

"We welcome the letter inviting us to collectively explore pathways to peace away from the current government line of perpetual war," said the FARC statement published on the Anncol website that often carries rebel communiques.



Read more: http://uk.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKTRE49S05F20081029