France Supports Chávez to Continue Mediating

The French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bernard Kouchner, reiterated on Thursday that the Colombian government should continue having the mediation of the Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez as an option to liberate hostages from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
 
Kouchner also said he will tour Venezuela and Colombia next February 20, informed AFP agency.
 
"If it works, we have to appeal to it. Absolutely," affirmed Kouchner when he was asked about a possible mediation of President Chávez in the liberation of 43 Colombian FARC hostages.
 
"I think we have to do the best we can to achieve the liberation of all the prisoners and of course Ingrid Betancourt's. We have to use everything," said Kouchner during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. 
 
Two weeks ago Chávez achieved the FARC's unilateral freeing of Clara Rojas and Consuelo González de Perdomo, in spite of Uribe's decision to end the mediation last November.    
 
The freeing was expected to be completed at the end of December, but it was hindered by the Colombian army which bombed the release area while they publicly denied that kind of operation in the area.
 
Bolivarian News Agency (ABN)
Thursday, January 24, 2008