Another day, another delay

It appears that the FARC don't want to come out and play just yet. They haven't figured out where they want to release the three hostages back to the Lone Burro, and his American sidekick Tonto (Oliver Stone).

Here is an article from Bloomberg, and one from Reuters.

I love the quote in the Bloomberg article from the former US Ambassador to Colombia:

"I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't show up for several days, or if in the end, they didn't show up at all,'' said Myles Frechette, U.S. Ambassador to Colombia from 1994 to 1997. "The FARC will say army patrols were intensified all over the place and `We didn't want to get the prisoners killed.'"

And of course you have the standard excuse from Chavez in the Reuters report: blame it on the US.

Chavez blamed poor weather and difficult terrain for the rebels' delay but the outspoken critic of the United States said he does not rule out U.S. interference.

"There could be acts of harassment, let's hope not, to try and make things difficult, to lengthen the waiting time," he said on Saturday.

Yes, the US seeded the clouds to rain just at the right time, and place the rugged terrain just in the right place so the FARC wouldn't be able to get to the release point. Ay carramba.....

It could be though that Chavez is somewhat correct in his assessment that the weather and difficult terrain are playing a part in the delay, because it's a long way from the FARC's fincas in Venezuela to Villavicencio.

Interesting that Chavez, Stone, and company are bivouacked in Villavicencio. 14 years ago, 2 New Tribes missionaries were kidnapped by the FARC near Villavicencio. Both were found dead June 21, 1995. Wonder why Oliver Stone didn't do a documentary on their slaying at the hands of the FARC.

(Side note: New Tribes used to have a missionary kids school in Villavicencio where my niece and nephew went to school. New Tribes pulled out of Colombia after the kidnapping of their two missionaries. For a time, my brother was the New Tribes liaison with the Colombian government in the attempt to secure the release of these men.)