• Military Menu                       

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Industry
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• WMD
• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

DATE=4/15/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-248175
TITLE=COLOMBIA/PLANE (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=RHODA METCALFE
DATELINE=BOGOTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO: IN COLOMBIA, ANOTHER THREE HOSTAGES HAVE BEEN RELEASED BY 
LEFT-WING GUERRILLAS IN THE MASS HOSTAGE TAKING THAT BEGAN MONDAY
WHEN A COLOMBIAN AIRLINER WAS HIJACKED AND FORCED TO LAND IN THE 
COUNTRYSIDE.  THE GOVERNMENT ALSO NAMED TWO LEADERS OF COLOMBIA'S
SECOND LARGEST GUERRILLA GROUP AS THE MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE 
AERIAL ABDUCTION.  FROM BOGOTA,  RHODA METCALFE REPORT.
                       ///SPANISH ACT/// 
TEXT: GONZALO DE FRANCISCO, A MEMBER OF THE PRESIDENT'S SECURITY 
COUNCIL, ANNOUNCED THAT COLOMBIAN SECURITY FORCES HAVE EVIDENCE 
THAT TWO TOP LEADERS OF THE GUERRILLA GROUP -- THE NATIONAL 
LIBERATION ARMY -- OR E-L-N AS IT IS BETTER KNOWN -- ORGANIZED 
AND CARRIED OUT THE MASS KIDNAPPING THIS WEEK 
 THE SECURITY ADVISOR NAMED PABLO BELTRAN AND OSCAR SANTOS AS THE
BRAINS BEHIND THE OPERATION. LAST YEAR, MR. BELTRAN LED A PEACE 
DELEGATION FROM THE GUERRILLA GROUP TO MEET WITH COLOMBIAN CIVIC 
AND BUSINESS LEADERS. AT THE MEETING, HELD IN GERMANY, MR. 
BELTRAN SIGNED A HUMANITARIAN AGREEMENT WHICH INCLUDED A PROMISE 
BY THE E-L-N NOT TO KIDNAP SENIOR CITIZENS OR CHILDREN.
ON THURSDAY, THE REBELS DID RELEASE THREE MORE HOSTAGES FOR 
HUMANITARIAN REASONS. THE TWO WOMEN AND A MAN WERE TURNED OVER TO
RED CROSS OFFICIALS. ONE OF THE WOMEN IS PREGNANT, THE OTHER WAS 
RECENTLY OPERATED ON. THAT BRINGS TO NINE THE NUMBER OF HOSTAGES 
FREED SINCE THE INCIDENT BEGAN ON MONDAY.  THE PLANE, BELONGING 
TO THE COLOMBIAN AIRLINE AVIANCA, WAS HIJACKED ON ITS WAY TO 
BOGOTA AND FORCED TO LAND IN A REBEL-HELD JUNGLE REGION.  THE 
PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE THEN ABDUCTED BY THE REBELS.  
COLOMBIAN AUTHORITIES HAVE SENT IN CLOSE TO ONE-THOUSAND TROOPS 
TO CREATE A CORDON AROUND THE REGION WHERE ITS BELIEVED THE 
HOSTAGES ARE BEING HELD. 
                    ///SPANISH ACT OF MAN///
 GENERAL FERNANDO TAPIAS -- HEAD OF THE COLOMBIAN ARMY -- 
EXPLAINED THAT THE MILITARY HAS BEEN BATTLING E-L-N FIGHTERS 
SINCE EARLY THURSDAY. BUT HE GAVE ASSURANCES THAT THE REMAINING 
HOSTAGES ARE NOT AT RISK BECAUSE THEY ARE AT A DISTANCE FROM THE 
FIGHTING.
 A SPOKEMAN FOR PRESIDENT ANDRES PASTRANA STATED THURSDAY THAT 
THE KIDNAPPING OPERATION WAS CLEARLY AN ATTEMPT BY THE E-L-N TO 
DEMONSTRATE ITS MILITARY STRENGTH. THE REBEL GROUP HAS BEEN 
MILITARILY AND POLITICALLY WEAKENED IN RECENT MONTHS. SEVERAL 
WEEKS AGO, THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT REJECTED ITS TERMS FOR 
ENTERING PEACE TALKS.
 BUT MR. PASTRANA MADE IT CLEAR THIS WEEK THAT HIS GOVERNMENT 
WILL NOT BE PRESSURED BY THE HOSTAGE TAKING INTO OFFERING NEW 
CONCESSIONS TO THE REBELS.  (SIGNED)
NEB/RM/WFR
15-Apr-99 7:51 PM EDT (2351 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.