Vol. 570 No. 2
246 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has any contact with the Government of Colombia with regard to the kidnapping of a person (details supplied) and others by FARC; if he has encouraged both sides to refrain from acts of violence and to negotiate a peaceful settlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18853/03]
My Department is monitoring the multi-faceted situation in Colombia, including the question of hostages, through our embassy based in Mexico City, which is also accredited to Bogotá, as well as through our EU partners with resident diplomatic missions in that capital. My own most recent direct discussion of the Colombian conflict with the Colombian foreign minister, Ms Carolina Barco, took place on 28 March last.
As the House is aware from my replies to previous questions on this subject, Ms Ingrid Betancourt – a candidate in the 2002 Colombian presidential election – was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, on 23 February 2002. She remains in FARC captivity, along with the former Governor of Meta province, a former Cabinet Minister, 12 regional Deputies, approximately 40 members of the State security forces, and several thousand ordinary Colombian citizens. Three US citizens are also being held captive. I share the general concern for the welfare of these hostages, including that of Ms Betancourt. That concern has increased following the murder by FARC on 5 May last of ten hostages including the Governor of Antioquia province, Dr. Guillermo Gaviria Correa, as well as by the murder last week of two further hostages, the Colombian industrialist, Helmut Bickenbach, and his wife, Doris Gil.
Ireland and our EU partners issued a statement condemning the murder of kidnap victims, emphasising that hostage-taking is recognised as an act of terrorism, and calling for the release of all hostages without preconditions.
The EU statement also expressed the belief that every effort should be made to restart as soon as possible the search for a humanitarian agreement on the specific hostage question as well as for a negotiated political solution to the overall conflict.
As I have previously informed the House, on 31 January 2003, President Uribe established a commission to evaluate the possibility of a humanitarian exchange of hostages held by FARC for terrorist prisoners detained by the State authorities. The three-member commission is composed of Monsignor Luis Augusto Castro, vice-president of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, Mr. Angelino Garzón, former minister for labour, and Father Darío Echeverri, the secretary of the Catholic Conciliation Commission.
