{news} Fw: USGP-INT Chavez will try again to aid Ingrid's release

[Justine McCabe]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tony Affigne" <affigne at greens.org>
To: <usgp-int at gp-us.org>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 10:26 PM
Subject: USGP-INT Chavez will try again to aid Ingrid's release


> CHAVEZ WILL TRY TO CONTACT REBELS FOR HOSTAGES' RELEASE
>
> CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - President Hugo Chavez said Wednesday he
> will try to re-establish contacts with Colombian rebels to try to win
> freedom for more hostages held by the guerrillas.
>
> Chavez said he spoken by telephone with French President Nicolas
> Sarkozy and offered to "try to make contact" with the rebels.
> Sarkozy's campaign for the freedom of French-Colombian hostage Ingrid
> Betancourt so far has been unsuccessful.
>
> "I'm going to try to do whatever possible to free not only Ingrid
> Betancourt, but all the people who are in the hands of the FARC,"
> Chavez said during a meeting with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose
> Socrates.
>
> Betancourt was kidnapped while campaigning for Colombia's presidency
> six years ago.
>
> Chavez used his contacts with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of
> Colombia, or FARC, to mediate the release of several hostages in
> recent months.
>
> But he said that his links to the rebels were severed when a
> Colombian raid killed a FARC leader, Raul Reyes, on March 1.
>
> Colombian officials say documents found on Reyes' computers, seized
> in the raid, exposed years of close cooperation between Chavez and
> the guerrilla group that finances itself partly through kidnappings
> and drug trafficking. Chavez has vehemently denied the charges.
>
> Venezuela is "not a menace," Chavez said on Wednesday. "We're trying
> to combat terrorism."
>
> Colombian officials have asked experts from the international police
> agency Interpol to inspect the computers and determine if the
> documents are genuine.
>
> Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
> material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
> _______________________________________________
> usgp-int mailing list
> usgp-int at gp-us.org
> http://forum.greens.org/mailman/listinfo/usgp-int
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this incoming message.
> Checked by AVG.
> Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1432 - Release Date: 
> 5/14/2008 7:49 AM
>
>