‘Memorandum’ given to Bogota guerrillas
NZPA-Reuter Bogota The Colombian Government has given a memorandum to Left-wing guerrillas who have held an estimated 29 hostages, including 11 ambassadors, inside the Dominican Republic’s embassy in Bogota for the last month. An official communique said that the' memorandum concerned 28 prisoners whose release the guerrillas are seeking. ‘ . They have said their demand is not negotiable, but the Government, has insisted that any agreement with the guerrillas must be within the framework of Colombia’s constitution since the Government could not interfere with the legal process. Two Foreign Ministry offi-
cials handed over the memorandum during negotiations between the authorities and a female guerrilla representing the; M-19 organisation which stormed the embassy on February 27. Government sources said further talks would take place today. The guerrillas are also demanding the release of 42 other prisoners and the payment of a $lO million ransom. They had originally demanded the release of 311 prisoners and .the -payment of $5O million ransom. A breakthrough in the negotiations came when the Government published a decree which could speed up the current trial of 212 alleged members of the M-19 movement by military courts on various charges.This led to the release of
three Colombian hostages on Tuesday, bringing to 26 the number of people freed since the building was seized. In addition, the Uruguayan Ambassador (Mr Fernando Gomez) escaped from the embassy with the help of blankets knotted into a rope. The latest negotiations, held like six previous sessions of talks in a yellow van parked outside the embassy, lasted almost three hours. The longest session so far, it ended cordially, with handshakes and smiles. One of the hostages freed on Tuesday said yesterday that he believed a solution was near. He and the twd other Colombians had beea| freed because the were pleased with , the Gov( emment decree, he'said. |
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Press, 28 March 1980, Page 6
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310‘Memorandum’ given to Bogota guerrillas Press, 28 March 1980, Page 6
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