Colombian President Uriber doubts FARC Ivan Marquez death

Caracas, Venezuela, 18 June 2008. Today, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe asked for cautious over the news over the recent death of another important leader of the Secretariat of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  Luciano Marín Arango nicknamed Ivan Marquez was supposedly killed. News about his death circulated widely in Colombia on Tuesday night. Since then, the Uribe administration has been unable to confirm his death. It is not the first time such news circulated without proper verification or backed on evidence.

Ivan Marquez was a Colombian MP during the 80´s representing leftist Patriotic Union Party (PU). He managed to survive the systematic killing of PU members orchestrated by the Colombian rightist oligarchy and paramilitaries. Then, he joined the FARC again in its armed struggle in 1985. Last year, Marquez visited Caracas and met with Venezuelan President over the negotiation of FARC hostages.  Venezuelan Authorities at the common frontier with Colombia denied a dead body found on Tuesday night was Ivan Marquez.

Sources: Globovision, Unionradio, El Universal, YVKE,