Peace Not at Hand, Colombia Officials Say

Although President Ernesto Samper said his government is willing “to open a new door to peace” following Sunday’s release of 70 soldiers and marines held by guerrillas, officials moved quickly to lower expectations that any negotiated settlement with insurgents is near.

“It would be pure euphoria to think that” Latin America’s longest civil war is close to ending, said Foreign Minister Maria Emma Mejia.

The conditions laid down by guerrilla commander Fabian Ramirez at Sunday’s guerrilla news conference illustrate how far the two sides are from talks. Before the insurgents will begin negotiations, he said, the government must redefine national security, do away with illegal private armies and withdraw the armed forces from selected cities.

Samper’s government has repeatedly tried to negotiate with the guerrillas. All but a few small groups have ignored the overtures, dismissing the president as illegitimate because his 1994 campaign was financed by millions of dollars in contributions from drug lords; the guerrillas themselves, however, have strong links to the cocaine trade.

Nevertheless, Samper expressed hope following the negotiated release of soldiers captured when a military base was overrun by guerrillas in August and of marines taken prisoner in January.

“This leaves us the lesson that peaceful negotiations can be the solution to violence,” Samper said in a televised address late Sunday.

International observers who witnessed the release of the troops also saw room for hope. “There have been many deaths in this conflict and there will be more,” said Philippe Texier, a justice of the French Supreme Court, who was active in Central American peace negotiations. “But any release of prisoners is positive, demonstrating flexibility by the government, the army and the [guerrillas].”

Meanwhile, the government is moving to try to establish its legitimacy in the south, where the guerrillas have been the only authority, by adding $9 million more to the $19 million in funds already budgeted for roads, water and drainage in the area.

But persuading citizens to participate in meetings to tell the government what public works projects they want may be difficult: One town leader who attended such a meeting last year was killed.