MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian government/FARC agree on hostages’ liberation

Senator Piedad Cordoba will be active in the hand-over of the hostages who have been retained for 12 years.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe agreed to demands from next of kin of hostages held by the FARC rebels and will accept the release of kidnapped policemen and soldiers one at a time rather than all at once, a reversal in government policy that could speed up releases.

The FARC, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, is holding 24 soldiers and police, some for as long as 12 years. Uribe previously insisted the guerrillas free all the hostages at one time, a condition the FARC rejected.

The change in government position, following the petition from relatives, could set the stage for the release of two soldiers the FARC had offered to free in April. Uribe has designated opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba, the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Roman Catholic Church to participate in the hand-over of hostages.

“This should be done in a short time, so that the torture does not continue” the government said in a statement after Uribe met with the families of the kidnap victims.

The coming release operation involves two soldiers who have been retained for twelve years and the return of the remains of a policeman who died in captivity.

Senator Cordoba, who has helped negotiate past hostage releases, said the move by Uribe could set the stage for a new round of hand-over to start in the days ahead. The change in policy also comes as the president's supporters try to amend the constitution to allow him to run for a third term in 2010.

The Colombian government also said it will request the International Red Cross and the Catholic Church “for guarantees from FARC for the liberation of all servicemen held as hostages”. FARC admits 23 but the government says the number is 24.

Uribe, whose father was killed in a 1983 FARC kidnapping attempt, is seen as a hero to many for his crackdown on the rebels, who are widely despised for their practice of taking hostages for ransom and political leverage.

The plight of Colombia's kidnap victims gained world attention last year when state security forces rescued French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and US anti-drug contractors who had been held for years by the guerrillas in secret jungle camps.

The FARC, which finances itself mostly through cocaine trafficking and security to drug barons and was originally Marxist inspired, has been fighting the state since 1964.