Colombia's Uribe takes tougher line on prisoner swap

Fri Feb 13, 2009 11:33am EST

BOGOTA Feb 13 (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe ruled out any deal with leftist rebels to swap guerrilla prisoners for hostages held for as long as 11 years in jungle camps, hardening his line on the issue.

Uribe, a conservative, has waged a U.S.-funded military crackdown against FARC rebels since taking office in 2002 and has succeeded in driving the guerrillas farther into remote rural areas.

"The only humanitarian accord that would be acceptable is for (the FARC) to unilaterally and immediately free all the hostages, halt all violence and make peace," Uribe said late on Thursday at a meeting of Roman Catholic Church leaders.

As recently as Sunday, Uribe had left the door open to a prisoner swap, saying his government was ready for such an accord as long as the FARC was serious and that any freed rebel fighters renounced violence.

Last week's voluntary release of six hostages by the FARC sparked fresh discussion over the possibility of deal between the government and Latin America's oldest insurgency to free 22 captives held for political leverage.

Two freed politicians, who had been held by the rebels for seven years, both called on Uribe last week to negotiate the freedom of the remaining hostages.

Luis Eladio Perez, a former senator who was released in 2008 after more than six years in the jungle, criticized Uribe's change of position.

"This upsets me greatly because the president said recently that he was willing to reach not just a humanitarian accord but also, under certain conditions, a peace accord," he said.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC, has long demanded a prisoner exchange but Uribe and rebel leaders are far apart over the terms of any deal.

The rebels have been severely weakened by Uribe's security offensive, but they remain a force in rural areas.

More than 370 members of Colombian armed forces were killed last year in combat with FARC and other armed groups, according to the defense ministry.

The FARC has little popular support and is branded a drug-trafficking terrorist group by the United States and European governments. Last week's releases appeared to be an attempt by the rebels to regain the political initiative after a year of military setbacks. (Reporting by Helen Popper and Jaime Luis Acosta; Editing by Doina Chiacu)




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