US Rejects Chavez Call to Drop Colombian Rebels From Terror Lists
By VOA News
14 January 2008
The United States is rejecting Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's call to stop labeling Colombian leftist rebels as terrorists.
State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has earned its way onto the list of terrorist groups.
The spokesman said he is unaware of any substantial changes in the FARC's behavior that would merit it being dropped from the list, and that the FARC should unconditionally free all its hostages.
The comments come three days after Mr. Chavez described the FARC and a smaller Colombian rebel group known as the ELN as insurgent armies with political goals he said should be respected.
Meanwhile, Colombian authorities say FARC guerrillas have kidnapped six tourists from a Pacific island, adding to the more than 700 hostages the rebels still hold for ransom or political leverage.
Officials said Monday that the tourists were seized from the beach of Morromico island and that the rebels stole fuel from the boat, as well as cash and cell phones. Two university professors are among the kidnapped tourists.
Last Thursday, the FARC freed two Colombian women who had been held hostage for several years in the Colombian jungle. Former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez and former vice presidential candidate Clara Rojas were released following mediation by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
Meanwhile, U.S. Representative James McGovern, who is in Colombia, has told the Associated Press he would travel wherever necessary to meet with the FARC if he thought it would help in getting more hostages released.
McGovern is traveling with Representatives William Delahunt and George Miller. McGovern met with the relatives of other FARC kidnapping victims Saturday.
The FARC has been fighting the Colombian government for decades. At least 40 high-profile hostages are in FARC custody, including three American defense contractors and former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt. Rojas was kidnapped with Betancourt in February 2002.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.
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