No, it wasn’t the supposed ineptitude and buffoonishness of Hugo Chavez. It was something nasty and treacherous that could only have come from one place, and here’s the confirmation from Aporrea:
In an exclusive interview with Radio W in Colombia, the former congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez, rescued in a humanitarian operation by the government of Venezuela, confirmed that intense military bombardments by the Colombian armed forces were what prevented her being freed last December, when President Hugo Chavez originally set Operation Emmanuel in motion.
The ex-parliamentarian of Huila Department related that her liberation, along with that of Clara Rojas, began 20 days ago, just after the FARC announced to President Chavez that the two women would be handed over to the Venezuelan government.
“Those 20 days, ever since the operation to free us began, we were walking through the jungle constantly. They were 20 difficult days; also, because we could feel the bombardments and the military presence very close by, we were very nervous,” said the ex-congresswoman.
This statement appears to confirm the communique the FARC sent to the Venezuelan president on December 31, in which they announced the suspension of the operation due to the intense military activities on the part of the Colombian government. This placed Colombian president Alvaro Uribe in a difficult position when he claimed, on that same day, that there were no military operations in the zone, as proof that his government was doing all it could to guarantee the success of Operation Emmanuel. At that time, president Uribe argued that the FARC had not handed over the hostages because they didn’t have the boy Emmanuel.
But now there is proof, coming from the same two women, that there was intense bombardment going on which prevented their being freed sooner.
Well, well, well, well, well. Looks like Alvaro is not only a nasty piece of shit, he’s a nasty, LYING piece of shit. Did we honestly expect anything else? Dubya loooooooves him, and anyone Dubya looooooooves is…well, you know.
Meanwhile, it looks like the humanitarian mission to rescue other FARC captives is picking up international steam. Aporrea again:
French chancellor Bernard Kouchner announced on Friday that emissaries from France, Spain and Switzerland “have already gone” to re-establish contact with the FARC rebels in Colombia, following the liberation of the hostages Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez.
“All of this is ongoing. Our emissaries have already left,” declared Kouchner on the radio station Europa 1. “There is a coalition from Spain, Switzerland and France making contact as a group” with the FARC.
Translations both mine.
Damn that Chavecito. Damn him, I say! He just keeps lighting those fires. At this rate, peace might just break out, whether BushCo and the drug-paramilitaries want it or not.
