Rebel leader discusses foreign hostages with priest

A senior Roman Catholic Church leader met with imprisoned leaders of Colombia’s second-largest rebel group as part of stepped up efforts to secure the release of seven foreign hostages.

The Rev Dario Echeverri told The Associated Press he held several hours of talks at the high-security Itagui jail in north west Colombia with Francisco Galan and Felipe Torres of the leftist National Liberation Army, or ELN.

But Echeverri, who is also the secretary-general of the National Reconciliation Commission, declined to comment on the content of the discussions. Earlier this week, he accepted a formal government request to act as a mediator in the kidnappings.

Gunmen seized eight backpackers – four Israelis, two Britons, a German and a Spaniard – from ancient jungle ruins in the Sierra Nevada mountains on September 12. The ELN has said it carried out the abductions to raise awareness about the plight of impoverished villagers, but has not issued ransom demands.

One of the British hostages, Matthew Scott, later escaped and has since being reunited with his family. The other, Mark Henderson, 30, from North Yorkshire, is still being held.

Galan, speaking to the AP by mobile phone from the Itagui prison, also declined to provide details.

A senior commander of the ELN, Galan was captured more than a decade ago but retains influence with the Cuban-inspired group and has mediated in past kidnappings.

He is serving a 30-year sentence for guerrilla-related activities.

Yesterday’s meetings came a day after the government’s top peace negotiator, Luis Carlos Restrepo, also discussed the fate of the hostages with Galan and Torres at the Itagui prison. Those talks included an offer by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to free the pair if they agree to turn themselves into “fighters for peace”, Uribe’s office said.

The foreign backpackers are believed to be facing immense hardship and hunger as they trek through rain-soaked jungles at gunpoint to evade a massive army search operation.

Colombia is the world’s kidnapping capital, with nearly 3,000 people taken hostage each year.