Colombian bishop says revelation of proof that hostages are still alive is suspect

Bogotá, Colombia, Jun 24, 2008 / 17:01 pm

The secretary general of the Colombian Bishops’ Conference, Bishop Fabian Marulanda Lopez, said this week that even though FARC has offered proof that the hostages it holds are alive, the group could be “politically motivated” in doing so.

Although he acknowledged that “proof of survival brings comfort to family members,” Bishop Marulanda said “in the end these proofs” could simply be of a political nature, and “that is not what Colombia wants.”

Likewise, he said all the bishops and priests of the country are open to receiving communications from the hostages and facilitating their release.

Colombia’s Human Rights Ombudsman Volmar Pérez told Radio Caracol he hoped the FARC would understand the need to provide proof that all the hostages are alive, as such gestures “provide relief for immediately family members because it shows that their loved ones are still alive.”