Monsignor Luis Augusto Castro, bishop of Tunja and member of the commission to facilitate a humanitarian exchange has indicated that FARC must free its hostages before it can claim its ability to speak before the United Nations.

The Catholic Church in Colombia informed FARC members that their desire to be heard at the General Assembly of the UN would only be possible when they abandoned the practice of hostage- taking and when they had freed all their hostages.

" The day when hostage-taking ceases, FARC could approach the UN. Currently, however, what moral authority could they have to go before the International Community? I am sure that Mr Kofi Annan will talk to them but first of all, the problem of hostage taking must be resolved " stated Monsignor Luis Augusto Castro

Bishop Castro referred to a letter that FARC had sent the previous day to Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary General in which they had repeated their wish that FARC delegates would speak at the UN Assembly.

In their communication, FARC had indicated that their appearance before the General Assembly would be "an effort we are prepared to make to bring about peace in our country provided that we can be given true guarantees of security for our delegation to go and return".

The letter made no reference to the ultimatum given by President Alvaro Uribe who promised to extradite to the US the prominent leader 'Simon Trinidad' if FARC did not liberate by 30 December 63 hostages.