Chavez Meets Top Colombian Rebel Leader

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Chavez Meets Top Colombian Rebel Leader
By JORGE RUEDA – 10 hours ago

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said he met with a top leader of Colombia's second-largest rebel group as he seeks to help revive peace negotiations between the guerrillas and Colombia's government.

"We sat down here with the No. 2 chief of the ELN, Antonio Garcia," Chavez said Friday, referring to the National Liberation Army. Colombian Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo also attended the talks at the presidential palace Thursday night, he said.

Chavez didn't reveal details of what he'd discussed with the ELN leader, but said he also spoke earlier Thursday with the rebel group's chief, Nicolas Rodriguez Bautista, known by the nom-de-guerre "Gabino." It was unclear if they met in person or spoke by phone.

The talks came as Chavez also tries to negotiate a swap of imprisoned rebels for hostages held by Colombia's largest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC. Among the dozens of captives are French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans.

Chavez met with a FARC representative last week in Caracas, and will visit Paris on Tuesday for talks with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.



Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jIhSnpH5_K0ERLWaDPli...

[mithnanthy]

1. Thanks Judi Lynn, for reporting.

If Hugo helps in the negotiations for the release of captives, which includes 3 Americans....the White House will have to spin that around. I wish the Democratic Candidates, as a group, would express a willingness to have a positive dialogue with Chavez,on a variety of matters. I'm dreamin again....

[Judi Lynn]

4. It has seemed as if they are sticking totally close to the Bush administration,

to prevent right-wingers from being able to call them out.

For the politicians in the party, so unfortunately, there's been a threat hanging in the air, since the drunkard and fool Joe McCarthy attempted to control the entire country with his great, although unproductive, ultimately, Commie scare in the 1950's, before he died abjectly of alcoholism.

Hope they outgrow this sometime, don't you?