President of Ecuador Rafael Correa told Colombian rebel group FARC to
immediately release the Ecuadorean citizen they are holding hostage and
to “not play with fire, because Ecuador will know how to respond.”
Ecuadorean Guillermo Javier Solórzano has been in FARC cptivity since june 2007, according to a letter received by the hostage’s family.
“Gentlemen of the FARC: No more playing with fire, Ecuador will know how to respond, release at least the hostages from a country like Ecuador that has nothing to do with the internal [Colombian] conflict,” the President said in his radio and television program.
Correa added the hostage’s family asked him to talk to Colombian opposition senator Piedad Córdoba to mediate with the FARC.
“I call on Piedad to see if she can do something for this hostage, but I also warn the FARC: We are not going to tolerate this,” the Ecuadorean Head of State said.
Ecuador stressed that his government lent medical attention to two FARC guerrillas that were wounded in the March 1 attack on a guerrilla base in Ecuador by Colombian armed forces. The attack killed FARC commander Raúl Reyes and 25 others.
“We have treated these survivors humanely. We helped them in this country and have let them have political asylum in Nicaragua, because that country asked to. Still they have Ecuadorean hostages. They are crazy,” Correa said.
