Colombia frees rebel leader for peace effort

[maddezmom]

Source: Reuters

BOGOTA, June 4 (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe freed a jailed guerrilla leader on Monday to try to broker peace talks and negotiate the release of rebel-held hostages, including a French-Colombian politician and three Americans.

Uribe said French President Nicolas Sarkozy asked him to seek an accord by freeing Rodrigo Granda, a top guerrilla known as the "foreign minister" of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the country's largest rebel group.

"Today after midday, Rodrigo Granda was freed from prison," Uribe said in a late-night television address. "The government has given him all the guarantees so he can act as a facilitator to work for peace."

The measure bolsters hopes for a deal to free hostages held for years in Latin America's oldest guerrilla war, including dual French-Colombian citizen Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. Defense Department contract workers who were snatched in 2003.

Read more: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04207976.htm

[burrowowl]

1. KICK!

[Bacchus39]

2. good luck!!

n/t