On 20 December Clara Rojas will celebrate her birthday, held in
detention, as she has done for the last four years, without the
slightest contact from her family. On 25 December Ingrid Betancourt will
do the same. She will be 45 years old, having spent nearly all of the
last five years in the hands of her kidnappers.
On 21 December, Pablo Emilio Moncayo
and Libio José Martinez will begin their 10th year in detention. - they
were captured by FARC in 1997 on Patascoy Mountain…
During this week, traditionally a time
of celebration for families in many parts of the world at the end of
year festive season, we cannot forget that in Colombia and elsewhere,
many thousands of families will not have the heart to celebrate.
The Ingrid Betancourt committees,
together with all the families of the hostages, wish on this occasion,
to send a two-fold message, to Farc who are holding the hostages and to
the Colombia government who refuses to negotiate their liberation: the
International Community will not accept either the indefinite
continuation of this torture, or a military operation endangering
hostage lives for the sake of the possible glory of a military victory.
In traditionally Christian countries,
such as Colombia and many European countries, millions of people will,
in the coming days and in every language ask for "Peace on Earth to
Men of Goodwill". Let us hope that there will be such men among
those who hold the power to free the hostages in Colombia.
