Guerrillas scoff at Uribe’s gesture
Left-wing rebels dismissed as a farce Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s release of about 200 jailed guerrillas, a gesture he had hoped would persuade guerrillas to free hostages they have held for years.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia demanded a demilitarized zone as a condition for any talks on freeing hostages, who include three Americans and a French-Colombian politician.
The guerrillas accused Uribe of diverting attention from a scandal linking some of his political allies to illegal paramilitaries.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
