Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas have suffered as captives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for almost six years. In that time several attempts have been made to move the FARC and Colombian government to find a solution to bring their release.





Recently President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has played a role described by the Colombian government as "positive" in another attempt to negotiate the release of these and other hostages. Even so, it is reported that President Uribe of Colombia has decided to suspend Chavez's role because Chavez contacted the head of Colombia's military directly.





We, the undersigned concerned citizens of the world, ask President Chavez and President Uribe to find a way to set aside any disagreements they may have, and place the safety of these hostages ahead of any personal, political or national slight. We ask that they agree to move ahead with negotiations with the FARC as soon as possible. We further call on the FARC to release all their hostages without condition and without delay.