The FARC want to “immediately” negotiate with the Colombian Government
about a possible humanitarian exchange, opposition senator Piedad
Córdoba said Thursday.
Córdoba, speaking on video to attendees of a seminar on Colombia held in Madrid, assures that the FARC are ready to start these talks right away, but need Government guarantees so their delegates can attend talks safely.
The senator stressed “the ethical necessity of this dialogue that enables the FARC and the Government to reach agreement on the requirements for the exchange.”
Córdoba said the negtiation process will need “a lot of support from the international community.”
The FARC want to exchange 22 captured members of the security forces for 500 guerrillas currently held in Colombian and U.S. prisons. The Colombian Government rejects such an exchange and demands the FARC to unilaterally release their hostages.
The FARC is suspected to also hold hundreds of civilians hostage for extortion. They are not part of the proposed exchange.
