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Colombia rebel group frees kidnapped mine employees

February 26, 2013 11:25
Bogota, Feb 15 (EFE).- Five foreign workers kidnapped last month from a mining project in northern Colombia were released Friday by the smaller of the Andean nation's two main guerrilla groups, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The ELN handed over three Colombians and two Peruvian nationals, the ICRC said in a statement. All five are employees or consultants with Canada-based Braeval Mining, operator of the Snow Mine project in the northern province of Bolivar. A sixth captive described as a Canadian citizen and company executive was not freed.

Colombian rebels question Santos' commitment to peace

February 26, 2013 11:24
Havana, Feb 22 (EFE).- FARC rebels on Friday slammed Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for remarks made during this week's handover to peasants of land allegedly seized from them by the guerrillas, questioning his commitment to achieving peace.

Colombian rebels release 2 captured cops

February 26, 2013 11:19
Bogota, Feb 15 (EFE).- Colombia's FARC rebels on Friday released two police officers taken prisoner last month, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. The handover took place in a rural area of the southwestern province of Cauca and the former captives, Cristian Camilo Yate and Victor Alfonso Gonzalez, are "in good health," the ICRC's Bogota office said in a statement. Members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, delivered the two officers to representatives of the ICRC and the organization Colombians for Peace.

UPDATE 1-No military or verbal truce for FARC rebels, Colombia says

February 23, 2013 17:45
* FARC leader calls on Santos to help save peace process * Colombian president says peace is saved through deals * Rebels bombed key oil pipeline twice this week (Adds oil pipeline attacks) By Jack Kimball BOGOTA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's government will not hold back militarily or politically in its offensive against Marxist rebels, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, after FARC guerrillas said his hostile attitude was threatening peace negotiations.

No military or verbal truce for FARC rebels, Colombia says

February 23, 2013 14:45
* FARC leader calls on Santos to help save peace process * Santos says peace is saved through deals, not statements By Jack Kimball BOGOTA, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's government will not hold back militarily or with words in its offensive against Marxist rebels, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday, after FARC guerrillas said his hostile attitude was threatening peace negotiations.

Colombian rebels call on Santos to save peace talks

February 22, 2013 13:30
* Rebels say hostile attitude threatens peace process * All sides report progress, despite rhetoric By Rosa Tania Valdes HAVANA, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Colombia's Marxist FARC rebels charged on Friday that the hostile attitude of President Juan Manuel Santos threatened peace negotiations under way in Havana and urged him to salvage the talks, in their harshest criticisms since talks began three months ago.

INTERVIEW-Colombian rebel deserter pessimistic over peace

February 21, 2013 17:16
* Rebel doubts FARC unity inside Colombia * Rank-and-file rebels worry about future * Says commanders mistreat FARC fighters By Helen Murphy and Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA, Feb 21 (Reuters) - FARC guerrilla fighters hiding out in Colombia's jungles are pessimistic about peace talks in Cuba and increasingly afraid for their future, according to a rebel commander who has just turned himself in.

US slaps sanctions on Colombian drug suspect

February 20, 2013 13:46
The United States announced sanctions Wednesday against a Colombian accused of shipping tons of cocaine to the United States and being linked to the FARC leftist guerrilla group. The punishment against Jose Evaristo Linares Castillo freezes his assets in the United States and bars Americans from doing business with him. The measures were announced in a Treasury Department communique. The suspect was arrested in Colombia last year and is awaiting extradition to the United States.

Colombia's FARC presses Santos for ceasefire

February 19, 2013 15:02
Colombia's leftist FARC guerrillas called on President Juan Manuel Santos Tuesday to agree to a cease-fire, saying they supported a proposal for an internationally verified truce. Ivan Marquez, the chief FARC negotiator in peace talks in Havana with the Santos government, praised a truce proposal advanced by a conservative former lawmaker and government minister, Alvaro Leyva. "We agree with your proposal for a bilateral truce with international oversight," he said, addressing Leyva.

Leftist guerrillas release Colombian soldier

February 16, 2013 21:45
Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the Marxist FARC, released a soldier Saturday they had held for nearly three weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross said. Josue Alvarez, released in southwestern Colombia, was the third hostage freed after the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels let go of two police officers on Friday. The hostage was delivered to representatives of the ICRC and the local non-governmental group Colombians for Peace. Since 2008, the rebels have released more than 30 hostages to these mediators.
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