Posted on 03/16/2003 3:06:36 PM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Wilson Rincón, Colombian former deputy and councilor who managed to escape from the guerrilla after 70 days in the Perijá mountains, states that a score of politicians, military officers, and policemen from his country remain captive in Venezuelan Zulia and Táchira states
I was detained on December 1st in the afternoon, in La Jagua del Ibirico municipality, Colombian César Department, when I went to attend a meeting with commander Aldemar, head of FARC Front 41, who had promised to hand over three kidnapped councilors belonging to our Conservative political movement.
After a three day wait, I was told that I was just another kidnapped person. They demanded 67.500 dollars to set me free, and another 50.600 dollars to liberate the three councilors. None of us could pay these amounts.
Our ordeal began. After an exhausting walk, generally in complete darkness, by the foothills of the Perijá mountains we realized that the guerrillas' intention was to make us cross the border to Venezuela.
We moved forward with great difficulty. During the first days, we walked with the shoes we had on when we were kidnapped. Later, they gave us boots, because we were climbing on very slippery ground. We reached a place where there was a sign indicating the altitude: 1,800 meters above sea level. We continued climbing. The cold, especially at nights, was almost unbearable.
After several weeks walking, I asked the commander where we were. About three or four hours from the Venezuelan border, he answered. Later, a 16 year old guerrilla, called Salvador, told me that the Colombian Army crossed our way and we would have to wait some days until it moved on.
I must admit that we were not ill-treated. But they accused us of conniving with the "exploiters of people and the oligarchy."
At that time, a 12 day wait began. We were held back in the mountains. Distressed and fearing the worst, we thought that we would never return, that we were just a merchandise with a price nobody could afford.
Later, I found out that the Colombian Army was at a place known as "United States" and that our wait could be very long.
Every Sunday, the commander turned on his radio at Norte Stereo station, that broadcasted the program "¡Aló, Presidente!" They willingly listened to Chávez and said that the strike (the national civil stoppage) was fostered by the Venezuelan oligarchy. "If only we had a Chávez here in Colombia," they said.
They were Chávez's partisans - and his allies, even if they would not admit it. They warned that nobody would "fuck" him, and that he would not resign. I never listened to them saying that they would use their weapons to defend the Venezuelan revolution, or that FARC was training Venezuelan people, or that there were Venezuelans among them. But I do listened that there was a guerrilla germ in Venezuela and that Chávez had a very well structured movement before April 11 coup d'état.
They were very clear when they said that it was easier for them to move through the Venezuelan territory than through the Colombian one. When I asked them if they were not afraid of the Venezuelan Army, they answered: "With those people there is no problem."
So, they wanted to go to Venezuela because they felt safer on that side of the frontier than on this one, since the Colombian Army -in respect of the Venezuelan sovereignty- does not cross the border.
Once, a guerrilla told me that he had returned in December from training in Venezuelan territory. In view of my surprise, he said: "The front has camps on that side of the border. Besides, the commander and his group remain there."
Then, I dared to make another question: How far are we from the camp in the Venezuelan territory? "About 40 or 70 days, depending on the circumstances," he answered. So, it is deep inside that country, I said. "Yes, well inward," he said.
When we spoke about famous exchangeable prisoners (political, military, police and governmental dignitaries that have been kidnapped and that, according to the guerrilla, could be exchanged by FARC captives), one of the guerrilla told me: "You should be grateful for not being one of those exchangeable people, because if you were, we would have taken you with them already." And where are they? I asked. "On that side of the frontier."
I told him how could it be possible that such as honest person like former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, known also by her fight against corruption, remains kidnapped. He answered that she was a big shot that would be released only when an exchange law is passed.
They never said the exact location of the exchangeable prisoners. But we can presume that the place should be between Venezuelan Zulia and Táchira states. Once, they said that it is possible to go to the Venezuelan zone called Machiques through Sabana Rubia, in Colombian Codazzi municipality.
Fortunately, that waiting time allowed us to reflect and we decided to escape. God helped us with a miracle: the young guerrilla called Salvador proposed us to flee. We thought it was a trap. But it wasn't. We checked, and we realized that he got fed up with that life. We were convinced about his real intentions and we decided to take the risk, knowing that if we were discovered we would die.
On Sunday, February 9th, Salvador was in charge of the guard duty from 8 to 10. Besides, the commander asked him to watch an additional hour. So, we had a three hour space. At 8:20, in the middle of the rain, and while the guerrillas were sleeping, we fled down the mountain. We walked for nine hours, we never felt any persecution, and we met nobody. Before daybreak, we reached the black road that links Valledupar to La Jagua de Ibirico. We stopped a private car and soon we were in Valledupar, safe and sound.
Colombia's leading daily El Tiempo reported Wednesday that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, runs a training school for some 400 rebels in Venezuela. Citing an unidentified report from the Colombian army, the newspaper also said that the National Liberation Army, or ELN, has a camp in Venezuela that it uses as an air base and hideout for kidnap victims. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Roy Chaderton denied the report, saying Colombian officials would have contacted Venezuelan authorities by now if it were true. Chaderton said he believed someone provided false information to the press.
On Thursday, a Venezuelan opposition politician claimed he has a report by Venezuela's Environment Ministry confirming the existence of a FARC camp in Sierra de Perija. The report says the camp has a water tank, a cafeteria for 50 people and a dormitory, Fernando Villasmil, president of the legislature of western Zulia state, said in an interview with Union Radio. Environment Ministry officials did not immediately return calls seeking comment.
Earlier in the week, Chaderton said his country would not declare Colombian rebels terrorists because that would make it harder for Venezuela to help broker any future peace agreement in the civil war. Chavez has condemned rebel bombings and kidnappings as "acts of terrorism." Caracas and Bogota are considering calling a meeting between Chavez and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to discuss relations, which have been rocky for years. Many Colombians believe that the Venezuelan government is sympathetic to the leftist rebels, and some have even accused Venezuelan authorities of harboring rebels.
Chavez denies supporting rebels.***
Panama has also branded the FARC a terrorist group.
But Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela have separately rejected Uribe's request, arguing that they want to remain ''viable mediators'' in the event of future peace talks in Colombia.
They have agreed to condemn ''terrorist actions,'' but not to brand the FARC as a terrorist group. Ecuador's foreign minister, Nina Pacari, was even quoted as making the ridiculous assertion that labeling the FARC as terrorists would amount to ''intervening'' in Colombia's internal affairs.
Not surprisingly, the FARC was elated. In a banner headline on its official website, the FARC boasted on March 9 that ''neighboring countries refuse to take part in the war carried out by Uribe and [President] Bush.'' It added, ``Ecuador refuses to define the FARC as terrorists. Brazil and Venezuela had done so earlier.”***
Good work as always CW.
Renaud Muselier, France's secretary of state for foreign affairs, urged Brazil and other nations to "reject a possible war that could endanger world peace."
Muselier delivered a letter from French President Jacques Chirac to Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The contents of the letter were not revealed, and the government did not comment on Silva's reaction.
France and Brazil have publicly criticized the proposal of a war against Iraq.
On Tuesday, Silva sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan suggesting a summit of world leaders interested in searching for a compromise solution.
In the letter, Silva said the discussion shouldn't be limited to leaders of countries on the 15-nation Security Council, of which Brazil is not a member.
The council is deeply divided over a resolution sponsored by the United States, Britain and Spain that would set a March 17 ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to prove Iraq is disarming.
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