DATE=9/17/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=COLOMBIA - FARC - ECUADOR (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-254027
BYLINE=BILL RODGERS
DATELINE=RIO DE JANEIRO
INTERNET=YES
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Colombia's principal guerrilla group, the FARC,
has denied U-S accusations that its members kidnapped
12 foreigners in Ecuador last week. The denial comes
as Ecuadorean authorities continue searching for the
missing people. V-O-A's Bill Rodgers reports from our
South American bureau.
TEXT: The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia,
known as FARC, issued a statement Friday denying any
responsibility for the kidnapping. The statement said
the FARC only operates within Colombian territory, and
went on to accuse the United States of trying to, in
its words, "internationalize the conflict in Colombia"
to justify an intervention.
On Thursday, a State Department spokesman accused the
FARC of kidnapping the seven Canadians, three
Spaniards, one Belgian, and one American. A heavily-
armed group seized the 12 last Saturday in the
Ecuadorean province of Sucumbios, near the border with
Colombia. A witness said the group wore camouflage
uniforms and spoke Spanish with a Colombian accent.
No one claimed responsiblity for the kidnapping, as
hundreds of Ecuadorean troops continued searching the
remote jungle region for any sign of the missing
foreigners. Ecuadorean police commander, General Jorge
Villarroel, says it is not known if the kidnappers
are guerrillas or common criminals. General Villarroel
says he believes the kidnappers and their captives are
still inside Ecuadorean territory, though he gave no
other details.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, a leading
Brazilian newspaper reports the FARC is trying to
establish ties with the Brazilian government. In an
article Friday, the Jornal do Brasil reports a FARC
representative is in Brasilia lobbying to have his
organization recognized by the government as a
"belligerent force". The article quotes the FARC
representative [Hernan Ramirez] as saying he hopes to
arrange a meeting between FARC leader Manuel Marulanda
and President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.
For now, Brazil's Foreign Ministry has refused to
consider any relations with the FARC. In a recent
statement, the Foreign Ministry said Brazil considers
the Colombian conflict to be an internal affair.
(Signed)
NEB/WFR/WTW
17-Sep-1999 17:09 PM EDT (17-Sep-1999 2109 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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