Venezuela Arrests Suspected Colombian Rebel Leader

[Say_What]

<clips>

Caracas, Venezuela, February 24, 2005— Venezuelan investigative police have arrested a presumed leader of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Gentil Alvis Patiño, alias “Rubén González,” “Chiqui,” or “Chiquiro.” Minister of Justice and the Interior Jesse Chacon told reporters last night that the suspect’s fingerprints are being sent to Bogotá to verify the man’s identity, after his name showed up on Interpol for “terrorism” and “narco-trafficking.”

The man presumed to be “El Chiqui” was apprehended last Friday along with three other men: two Colombians and one Venezuelan, in the South-Eastern Venezuelan state of Bolívar, which borders Colombia at the river town of Puerto Carreño. The suspect was apprehended during an operation to rescue Maura Villarreal, the 55 year-old mother of Venezuelan baseball star Ugueth Urbina, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers.

Along with the four suspects and the safe return of Urbina’s mother, the rescue operation yielded 600 kilograms of cocaine. Patiño is suspected of being one of the leaders of the FARC’s 16th front, which operates in the South-Eastern region of Colombia, near the Venezuelan frontier. The FARC currently have 63 fronts in Colombia. The 16th front is alleged to be responsible for a large part of the FARC’s drug- and arms-trafficking.

Speaking late last night, Minister Chacón noted that if the suspect is indeed FARC leader Alvis Patiño, “Colombia will request his extradition, and, if they comply with the necessary steps, we will hand him over.”

http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news.php?newsno=1521

[bemildred]

1. Whoa.

They must have really done some horse-trading in Caracas.
Hugo is giving Uribe political cover.

[Say_What]

2. Alvaro Uribe accuses FARC's Granda of planning murder of Raul Cubas' daugh

<clips>

Alvaro Uribe accuses FARC's Granda of planning murder of Raul Cubas' daughter

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has accused Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) hierarch, Rodrigo Granda of planning the kidnap of former Paraguayan President Raul Cubas' daughter (31).

The spectacular accusation was made during a forum in Bogotaa on the sustainability of a democratic security policy.

* Cubas' daughter was found dead last week in Asuncion (Paraguay) after being held hostage since last September.

Uribe has stated that he is not against a humanitarian accord with FARC to free hostages ... "don't try and tell me that in capturing one of the intellectual assassins of Mrs. Cuba in Paraguay, we are destroying a humanitarian accord."

France's Le Monde newspaper set the ball rolling a few days ago, stating that Granda was undertaking talks with French Ambassador to Venezuela Pierre-Jean Vandorne regarding the release of Colombian presidential candidate, Ingrid Betancourt kidnapped three years ago.

http://www.vheadline.com/readnews.asp?id=25868

---

Related article from Mercosur:

<clips>
Paraguay: massive purge in security forces.

...But the case has a further complication, an alleged Colombian connection.

This week Colombian president Alvaro Uribe publicly accused the FARC and one of its leaders recently abducted in Venezuela and delivered in Colombia, (which generated a diplomatic crisis between both neighbouring countries), of having masterminded the Ceclia Cubas kidnapping for ransom.

Apparently Colombian and Paraguayan security forces intercepted e-mails between the alleged kidnappers, a Paraguayan radical group and Mr. Rodrigo Granda identified as FARC’s Foreign Affairs representative, and now under Colombian custody.

Mr. Granda was FARC’s contact with European governments for a possible “humanitarian agreement” leading to the liberation of tens of Colombian civilians and security forces servicemen kidnapped and retained by the Colombian guerrilla.
Mr. Granda apparently made his contacts in Caracas with the European embassies but was himself kidnapped by bounty hunters and delivered to Colombian authorities who are now considering his extradition to the United States.

Mr. Uribe strong attitude towards FARC and guerrilla’s movements has the full financial and weapons support from the United States, while the Europeans prefer “humanitarian negotiations” to end the half century conflict.

http://www.falkland-malvinas.com/Detalle.asp?NUM=5166

---

<clips>

Colombia’s Double Standard for Terrorism
The Colombian Government’s Lies on the Kidnapping of Rodrigo Granda and Its “Solidarity” With Venezuelan Coupsters

BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA: Last December 15, the antiterrorist arrogance of the Colombian government got a boost in the national and international media. What was its trophy this time? Rodrigo Granda, another big shot from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in its Spanish initials). Granda, the FARC’s international spokesman for seventeen years, had supposedly been captured by the Colombian authorities in the city of Cúcuta, the capital of the Norte de Santander department on the Venezuelan border. Another “success” for the government after the capture of FARC commander Simon Trinidad. Yes, Granda was a dangerous man, a “terrorist.” The Colombian authorities had made another heroic gesture to protect Latin America’s oldest democracy. Granda had been captured according to all the normal procedures of the Colombian justice system.

That was what the big media show that the government put on (television cameras showed Granda handcuffed and surrounded by police) convinced the public. And it was what the most traditional sections of that public wanted to believe. However, the truth was quite different, and the Colombian government, the “irreproachable,” the most democratic in Latin America, the government that would never commit terrorist acts to achieve its goals, knew full well what was really going on.

How “irreproachable” was the manner in which the Colombian authorities handled Granda’s case? The facts that came to light days after his “capture” would put the diplomatic relations between Colombia and Venezuela at risk. And with good reason…

It all began on December 18. Starting on that day, the happy ending the Colombian authorities had wanted to give to Granda’s case began to unwind: Carlos Lozano, publisher of the weekly communist newspaper Voz, publicly announced that, contrary to the official version of the story, Granda had been kidnapped right in the heart of Caracas by Venezuelan and Colombian agents working behind the Hugo Chávez administration’s back. Granda corroborated Lozano’s version when he gave his statement to the Colombian justice department on December 22. This alone was very serious. Isn’t kidnapping one of the methods supposedly used by terrorists? How strange! And isn’t the Colombian government, supposedly, not a terrorist organization in any way? Even stranger…

http://www.narconews.com/Issue35/article1153.html

[bemildred]

3. The business in Paraguay is very interesting, but murky.

It does seem like something in going on there, I've seen a
couple stories in the last few weeks. But you have to
assume all the public dialog is utter bullshit.

[Judi Lynn]

4. So the Coup President-for-a-Day, Pedro Carmona, lives in Colombia

Littleandingted like royalty there. It's discussed in your third link, near the end of the article. Very interesting:

This “outstanding and serious person” was transformed into a first-class citizen in Bogotá. He lives in one of the city’s most exclusive neighborhoods. He is constantly invited to meetings, parties and dinners where he meets with important figures of Colombia’s political sphere. Bogotá has in fact become for him a “little Miami,” now that it is the principal center of operations for his favorite pastime: organizing conspiracies against the Venezuelan government. According to complaints from Venezuela, he even speaks at conferences for the Colombian military. Here, he has become a real leading figure.

In fact, Carmona meets frequently in the Colombian capital with Former Venezuelan President Carlos Andrés Pérez, accused of corruption and whose extradition the Venezuelan government has requested. It is no secret to anyone that Pérez is a long-time supporter of the idea of assassinating Chávez to get him out of power. So, Carmona and Peréz are doing more than just going to church together. During 2001, the two would meet in the Dominican Republic to make preparations for the coup. And it should be mentioned that Carmona was an official in the government during Pérez’s administration.

Since arriving in Bogotá in a Colombian Air Force plane, Carmona has wasted no time. On December 4 and 5 of 2002, he met in the National Police’s Hotel del Fondo with outgoing Secretary of State Colin Powell (on an official state visit to Colombia). Other officials were also present at the meeting, including former U.S. ambassador to Colombia Héctor Fabio Velazco, as well as journalists from both countries and other important Venezuelan and Colombian personalities, as reported on Indymedia by journalist Gina María Ramírez. The goal of the meeting? Nearly obvious: design a plan to carry out another military coup against President Chávez. But, of course, Mr. Carmona is not a terrorist.
(snip/...)

http://www.narconews.com/Issue35/article1153.html

The hypocrisy is overwhelming. The article mentions he was an official in the Venezuelan government when the corruption-impeached President Carlos Andrés Pérez occupied himself making life a living hell for Venezuela's poor, one of his notable deeds being the ordering of government troops to shoot into crowds of demonstrating poor people, killing over 2,000, wounding thousands in the bloody spectacle, "El Caracazo."

The Venezulan right, and apparently _{George W. Bush} thinks it's the right thing to do to put the very same people back in power in Venezuela. Figures.

[bemildred]

5. A good point.

It will be interesting to see if anything is done about those weasels.

[geek tragedy]

6. I wonder if the rightwingers will notice this. I'm not gonna hold my

breath. eom