DATE=6/19/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-234233
TITLE=COLOMBIA / P-L-O (L ONLY)
BYLINE=GEORGE MEEK
DATELINE=BOGOTA
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: LEFTIST GUERRILLAS IN COLOMBIA HAVE KIDNAPPED THE LOCAL
SPOKESMAN OF THE PALESTINE AUTHORITY. THE ABDUCTION -- WHICH TOOK
PLACE -- TWO MONTHS AGO WAS KEPT SECRET UNTIL A BOGOTA TELEVISION
STATION BROKE THE STORY TODAY. CORRESPONDENT GEORGE MEEK HAS
DETAILS FROM THE COLOMBIAN CAPITAL.
TEXT: THE LONG-TIME P-L-O SPOKESMAN IN COLOMBIA, JAIME SALEM,
WAS CAPTURED BY THE REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES ON APRIL 25TH WHEN
HE WAS VISITING HIS BROTHER IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF BOGOTA. HE
WAS SEIZED BY THE SAME REBEL UNIT THAT CAPTURED A GROUP OF
AMERICAN BIRD WATCHERS, WHO WERE LATER RELEASED.
MR. SALEM, A FORMER MEMBER OF THE PALESTINE PARLIAMENT IN EXILE,
HAS BEEN LIVING IN COLOMBIA FOR 30 YEARS.
THE AMBASSADOR OF THE PALESTINE AUTHORITY IN COLOMBIA, SABRI
ATEYEH, IS MEETING WITH PALESTINE LEADER YASSER ARAFAT TO ARRANGE
FOR A DELEGATION TO COME TO COLOMBIA ON TUESDAY TO TRY TO WIN MR.
SALEM'S FREEDOM.
// OPT // LOCAL TELEVISION REPORTS THAT CUBAN LEADER FIDEL CASTRO
AND LIBYAN LEADER MUAMMAR GADHAFI HAVE ALSO BEEN INVOLVED IN THE
SECRET NEGOTIATIONS IN THE CASE. // END OPT //
KIDNAPPING IS COMMON IN COLOMBIA. OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE
REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES, WHOSE SPANISH ACRONYM IS FARC, EARN
MORE THAN 100 MILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR FROM KIDNAP RANSOMS. FARC
FREQUENTLY USES THE RELEASE OF HOSTAGES AS AN OCCASION TO ISSUE
COMMUNIQUES.
FARC AND COLOMBIA'S SECOND LARGEST REBEL GROUP, THE NATIONAL
LIBERATION ARMY, EFFECTIVELY CONTROL ABOUT HALF OF THE NATIONAL
TERRITORY. (SIGNED)
NEB/GM/LTD/JO
19-Jun-98 3:27 PM EDT (1927 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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