Bill Richardson's Venezuela Trip To Discuss American Hostages

Bill Richardson plans Venezuela trip on hostages

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seasoned negotiator Bill Richardson plans to visit Venezuela next month to discuss the fate of three American hostages held by rebels in Colombia, said a U.S. official on Friday.

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Richardson, the New Mexico governor, was in Colombia last week for talks with President Alvaro Uribe on the U.S. defense contractors held since 2003.

State Department official Tom Shannon, the top U.S. diplomat for Latin America, told Reuters he had spoken to Richardson, who planned to visit Venezuela next month to see if he could help secure the Americans' release.

"Governor Richardson is a skilled negotiator with a lot of experience in this field and I am sure he has a lot to offer in terms of understanding possible resolutions of the hostage situation," said Shannon in an interview with Reuters as part of a Latin American summit series.

Richardson, who was asked by the hostages' families to step in, was a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and has helped release Americans held in Sudan, Iraq, North Korea and Cuba.

Richardson's New Mexico office had no comment on the trip.

The three U.S. defense contractors being held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, are Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell. They were on an anti-narcotics mission in February 2003 when their aircraft crashed and they were captured by rebels.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has been involved in getting hostages released by the FARC. This year the FARC, a Marxist guerrilla group that has waged a 4-decade-old war against the Colombian state, released six hostages through deals negotiated with Chavez.

"When you get involved in these negotiations, it's critically important to get to know the principals and gain their trust," Richardson said in a statement after his trip to Colombia. He said freeing the hostages won't happen quickly.

France has been trying to secure the release of French-Colombian national Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate, and others held by the FARC.

Shannon said the United States wanted all hostages freed.

"The French have always assured us that in all of their efforts to play this role that they also are looking to accomplish a much bigger accord in which all the hostages including the Americans would be included," he said.

Betancourt is believed to be ill and a French medical team is in Bogota hoping to get urgent help to her in the jungle.

Shannon said it would be terrible if Betancourt died in captivity and would underscore the "ruthless and cruel" nature of FARC's hostage-taking policy.

BUNGLE IN THE JUNGLE article.. http://www.mensvogue.com/magazine/articles/2007/12/bungle_in_jungle

By Medellin Traveler on Apr 4, 2008, 15:25 in Friendly Talkzone.

Simon says on Apr 4, 2008, 15:37:

I saw an interview with Bill Richardson on CNN en Español a couple of weeks ago and noticed that he's pretty misinformed about what's going on in Colombia. When asked about the country, he said that "both sides need to free their hostages." Both sides? Um, excuse me Mr. Richardson but the guerrillas the government holds are not any "hostages", they're legitimate prisoners!

HERE'S SIMON!!!!

bamacellist says on Apr 4, 2008, 16:11:

That's not misinformed! That's stupidity.

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."

miamimike says on Apr 4, 2008, 19:02:

"That's not misinformed! That's stupidity." Wow-- Where does that put the Bush Negotiators?? What actions have they taken to date to free the American Hostages???

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

bamacellist says on Apr 4, 2008, 19:17:

Specifically referring to this quote: "both sides need to free their hostages." which is an idiotic statement.

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."

poco says on Apr 4, 2008, 19:19:

Quote: "That's not misinformed! That's stupidity." Wow-- Where does that put the Bush Negotiators?? What actions have they taken to date to free the American Hostages???

My guess is,, not much. The official stance is "Let them go".
------------------------------
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2008/apr/102984.htm April 4, 2008 Dept. of State.
As you know, throughout this period, we have supported the efforts of President Uribe to deal with the FARC, as well as his efforts to secure the release of hostages. We have also continued to support efforts by third parties to obtain their release, as long as those efforts were done in conjunction and with the support of the Colombian Government. That remains our position.
----------------------------
The FARC has stated they will hold them 60 more years? because of a verdict against someone the FARC thought important,, can't remember maybe the US put a FARC in jail.

Do you know of anything?

"Violence is the first refuge of the incompetent" - Isaac Asimov

bamacellist says on Apr 4, 2008, 19:47:

Simon Trinidad.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7214540.stm

"The great thing about human language is that it prevents us from sticking to the matter at hand."

Mononoke28 says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:19:

I think this guy is using his 15 minutes to see how far ahead he can get. Before he was a Democratic candidate he was an unknown politician and to be honest nobody really cares about him.

Diana

jorgegdiaz says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:32:

You know? Bill Richardson was probably the most prepared candidate among all of them
He was: Energy secretary under Bill (cabinet experience)
U.N. ambassador (international experience)
New mexico Governor (executive experience)
New Mexico Senator (legislative experience)
He went to grad school in Holand, to Tufts Univ and lived in Mexico city until he was 13.
He gained release of hostages in Sudan and somewhere else in the 90`s.
His weakness? he wasn`t publicy known
Pleaaaaaase, talk with some knowledge, I implore you !

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

ColombianoGringo says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:36:

He's certainly more qualified than most of the candidates this go round or the imbecile currently occupying the office. The CNN comment sounded pretty stupid, but even the best will sometimes make a mistake. Every other thing that comes out of Shrub's mouth is a mistake. I don't see what personal gain Richardson would expect from trying to free those guys. The vast majority of people in the US have no clue about the three American hostages.

jorgegdiaz says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:40:

May be he`s an humanitarian or may be he already started his race for 2012

Man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day.

ColombianoGringo says on Apr 7, 2008, 10:45:

If he is looking for political capital, he would do better to pick a cause that Americans know and care about. Still, I would rather see him involved than one of Shrub's "diplomats".

Mononoke28 says on Apr 7, 2008, 13:05:

And I honestly don't see what good will come out for him to get in the middle of things. Not to contradict anybody but him butting in to free up these hostages doesn't really account for anything. It would take a very heavy weight politician to get these people to free the Americans.

Diana

Medellin Traveler says on Apr 7, 2008, 17:01:

At the end of the day, at least he is trying to do something.

Too many haters on this planet.

Medellin es una chimba! www.medellintraveler.com