Still hoping for an accord.

NEGOTIATION. Meeting to be held in Caracas.

ABN and DJ Staff


President Hugo Chávez said on Friday that the meeting he will hold in the coming days with an envoy of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, under its Spanish acronym) will help reach more than a humanitarian accord.

"It will be a good meeting in which we will find several alternatives, beyond the humanitarian accord. I hope it will be the path to peace," Chávez said from the Amazonian city of Manaos, Brazil.

After meeting his Ecuadorian counterpart, Rafael Correa, the Venezuelan President said that he still does not know who the FARC representative will be, but he said the meeting will take place in Caracas. The date opposed by the guerrilla group is October 8.

Chávez also stressed that it is necessary to find conditions to hold a meeting with the FARC leader, Manuel " Sureshot " Marulanda.

"Marulanda said he wants to hold a meeting with me and I want to meet him too. But we have to find the conditions. He said the meeting must take place in Colombia, but Uribe said it is not advisable and I respect his decision because he is the President of Colombia," Chávez said.

Chávez said that next week he will meet in Caracas with a group of American actors, among them Kevin Spacey, who wants to help in the negotiation process.


Chávez made an emphasis in his determination to reach the humanitarian accord.

However, he warned that the positions described as "immovable" must be evaluated with respect by both sides.

He said he has received support messages for the entire world, even the African continent for his mediation role between the FARC and Uribe's government.

He said that the U.S. government, through its ambassador is in Bogotá,"said that the U.S. government supports the process carried out to reach the exchange of hostages for guerrilla prisoners."

He said that he will soon meet with the relatives of the three Americans held captive by the FARC. Chávez said that next week he will meet in Caracas with a group of American actors, among them Kevin Spacey, who wants to help in the negotiation process.

He stressed that the Colombian senator, Piedad Córdoba, will meet Friday with the relatives of the American victims.

She will also meet in the American Congress with democrat representatives and maybe with presidential pre-candidates of that country.