October 28, 2006: FARC has asked the government to reconsider its decision to withdraw from hostage exchange talks. The other large rebel group, ELN, has agreed to work out an amnesty deal. Meanwhile, the government continues military and police operations against both organizations, and keeps winning.
October 23, 2006: More police and army units have been moved to areas in the south, where FARC activity is the greatest.
October 21, 2006: The government is going through diplomatic channels to make formal charges that FARC is using bases in Venezuela and Ecuador, and demanding that those countries arrest the Colombian rebels and bandits operating in their territory. To make formal charges, you have to provide specific evidence, so all this should get pretty interesting.
October 20, 2006: The government and the ELN resumed peace talks in Cuba. The ELN, which is only about a third the size of FARC, has been getting hammered pretty bad, and is looking for an amnesty deal similar to what the AUC got. Meanwhile, because of a car bombing at a military college yesterday, which injured ten and was blamed on FARC, the government withdrew its offer to negotiate a prisoner exchange with FARC. The government announced it would now attempt a rescue of the hostages, using special military and police units. The government said it had intercepted FARC messages regarding the bombing, and had no doubt FARC was responsible. FARC blamed the United States.
