Chavez Helps Free Hostages, US Sorta Admits
Posted on January 10, 2008 - Filed Under Bush |
Here’s a situation that puts your foreign policy team in a pickle.
Former Colombian vice-presidential candidate Clara Rojas and ex-congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez had been held hostage by Colombian rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known by their Spanish acronym FARC. The situation drew international headlines. Today they were freed. But the story doesn’t end there.
The two women were freed by the in a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who also tried to free them last month only for the deal to be scuttled by FARC at the last minute. Today they arrived safely in Venezuela on helicopters sent by Chavez.
Yes, Hugo Chavez, the leader who called President bush the devil. So what’s a State Department do to?
The U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey announced it was delighted at the news of the release. However, at the same time it avoided placing any kind of praise on Chavez.
Instead, the US praised the President of Columbia, Alvaro Uribe. “We are also appreciative of the leadership of President Uribe, in terms of trying to secure the release of these hostages…” he said.
When asked about the role of Chavez in resolving the hostage situation, the State Department spokesmen explained, “I think that anybody, including President Chavez … who has a role to play that is positive and that supports President Uribe and the Colombian government’s efforts is to be welcomed.”
But when questioned if the US was prepared to work with Chavez to secure the release of the US hostages, Casey was anything but enthused as the suggestion. “Well, we continue to work with the government of Colombia. The government of Colombia and President Uribe are the ones who are ultimately responsible for managing whatever process is involved here.”
In an odd side note, while Bush isn’t talking to Chavez, supermodel Naomi Campbell is. Recently she sat down with Chavez for an extended interview.
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The U.S. State Dept must keep working with the Colombian government to free the rest of the hostages. The only reason the farc freed these two women is because they were caught lying about freeing Clara Roja’s son when the child had been living under a different name for two years in Colombiá foster care system. That lie embarrased hugo chavez, and the farc does not want to have trouble with the president of venezuela because they have bases inside venezuela and one of the membres of its secretariat (the only one who made it to caracas for talks) lives in venezuela. Only through more U.S. help can President Uribe keep pressuring the farc terrorists into releasing more hostages.