France asks Chávez to Resume Swap Talks with Colombia

President of the Bolivarian Republic
of Venezuela Hugo Chávez met
with French Prime Minister François Fillon on Monday to discuss the
humanitarian exchange that was to take place in Colombia.

Chávez had been mediating a swap of captives between the Colombian
Revolutionary Armed Forces (better known by its Spanish acronym FARC) and the
Government of Colombia for three months, only to be later stopped unilaterally
and in an untimely manner by the latter, the Venezuelan President's Office
said.

Fillon and Chávez met in Buenos Aires
where they are attending the inauguration ceremony of the new President of
Argentina Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, the first elected female President of
that country.

After the meeting, when asked by journalists about the topic of the
humanitarian exchange, Chávez said, though still hurt, he will continue to work
for peace in Colombia.

France
wants to see French national Ingrid Betancourt, also a former Colombian
Senator, freed.

Shortly before, Fillon met with other Latin American leaders requesting their
input towards the liberation of Betancourt and others being held by Colombia's
FARC.

Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Bolivian President Evo Morales, Colombian
President Álvaro Uribe and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also
met with the French Prime Minister.



Source: Prensa Presidencial