Bogotá, Colombia, Nov 2, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Bishop Orlando Antonio Corrales of Valle del Cauca, Colombia, revealed this week that the Church in Colombia is discreetly and confidentially mediating negotiations with the Armed Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC) in an effort to reach a humanitarian agreement for the release of hostages.
Without revealing which bishops are involved in the talks, Bishop Corrales stated that the Bishops’ Conference of Colombia is hoping for direct and sincere talks aimed at securing the release of all those who have been kidnapped by rebel groups.
Bishop Corrales also explained that the bishops are only acting as facilitators of the negotiations and that they have no role in the conflict; rather, they have made themselves available in case either parties request their assistance during the process.