French Foreign Minister meets Hugo Chavez over FARC

Caracas, Venezuela, 30 April 2008. The French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner met with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez today at Miraflores Palace in Caracas. Minister Kouchner had the official mission to talk about the release of hostages kept by FARC. Event though the release of French Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt is most important to Paris, Minister Kouchner advocated for all those kept by FARC in Colombia.

The visit of Minister Kourcher to Caracas is the final three-nation tour he engaged in the region. He had previously held direct talks with the government of Rafael Correa in Ecuador and Alvaro Uribe in Colombia.  This new French advocacy mission follows previous diplomatic blunders when dealing with hostage crisis.  The killing of FARC No 2 leader. Raul Reyes after negotiating with French officials, has severely damaged the prospects of Paris success in dealing with the crisis on its own.    

After meeting with President Chavez, French Minister Kouchner expressed his encounter was rather positive. This is the second visit of Kouchner to Caracas this year. He came in February 2008 to express the gratitude of Sarkozy government for the Venezuelan mediation in favour of the release of hostages.

More news to come...

Sources: VTV, RNV,