Every Tuesday, mothers of soldiers and politicians held hostage by FARC meet in Bolivar Square in Bogotá. A banner, a megaphone, some indifferent passers-by; the drama of 34 men held in the jungle, some for eight years does not have much public impact.

Fifteen political personalities, among them Ingrid Betancourt and tens of hostages held for ransom share their ordeal. "There are no more than ten people here most weeks", sighed Marleny Orjuela, President of the Association of Families of Military Hostages. After forty years of armed conflict Colombia is getting used to the intolerable.

Tuesday, November 1st, a delegation from the International Greens, who travelled at the invitation of Alain Lipietz, member of the European Parliament, put in an appearance. "We are here to show our support for Ingrid Betancourt and all the hostages, explains Grazia Francescato, spokesperson for the European Green party. "We want the government to agree to sit down at the negotiation table". Among the hostages' families, pessimism reigns. The Constitutional Court has just allowed President Alvaro Uribe to run for re-election in 2006.

This delegation includes representatives of the Green Party in Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Brazil, U.S. France, Holland, Italy, Japan and Taiwan who are participating in the forum "International Meetings for the Humanitarian Agreement and Peoples' Rights."

The world- wide Greens thus hope to show publicly to Colombian public opinion, to President Uribe and FARC the importance they attach to the freedom of the Colombian hostages, among them, Ingrid Betancourt and Clara Rojas. The Greens are convinced that a strong international pressure is required to push President Uribe and FARC to a humanitarian agreement.

The delegation of the Greens will take part in the demonstration by parents of victims and will have numerous meetings with many organisations and Colombian personalities such as Luis Eduardo Garzon, mayor of Bogotá, Luis Carlos Restrepo, the government Peace Commissioner, Monsignor Luis Augusto Castro, president of the Conference of Bishops, some political groups on the democratic left, trade unions and NGO's etc

Participants in this conference asked the Colombian authorities not to undertake a military rescue of the hostages so as not to endanger their lives.

Karl Romanelli, from the US greens declared that the mission of the parliamentarians and supporters who arrived in Bogotá " hopes that the re can be a negotiated solution to the Colombian conflict" and " wants to work through out the world for peace in the South American nation".

However, he stressed that this solution "means there must be an end to the culture of impunity".

The international representatives criticised the Justice and Peace law decreed by the the congress and the Colombian government in order to bring about the decommissioning of right wing paramilitaries who have been involved in negotiations since the end of 2003.

They underlined that this law does not combat impunity for crimes against humanity committed by the paramilitaries.

"Uribe does not want to negotiate anything, my son will rot in the jungle". sighs one demonstrator. Marleny Orjuela tries to encourage her. "The head of state is unpredictable, she states. During the election campaign perhaps he will agree to negotiate".

Yolanda Pulecio, Ingrid Betancourt's mother doubts it. "We must fight against the guerrilla who have kidnapped our relatives, against a government that is uncaring about he fate of its citizens and against the indifference of public opinion", she explained to the Greens." Uribe has hindered the efforts of all those who have offered to intervene, whether it be the UN, the Church or the French government."

Bogotá has said it is willing to negotiate an exchange between members of FARC who are imprisoned and 59 political hostages detained by the rebels. But Uribe refuses to demilitarise two rural communities, a FARC demand, to allow negotiators to meet.

The government was not willing to receive the Greens. "It surprises me that a delegation from such a political level comes to Colombia and is not received," declared Sergio Coronado, spokeman for the French Greens. " Uribe makes up at the last moment some sudden and unusual illnesses."

Yolanda Pulecio waited for seven months for an interview with the Head of State. "Mr President, I detest you", she told him, to his face on 26 July. She also detests Antanas Mockus, former Mayor of Bogotá and independent candidate for the Presidency of the Republic and who has come to explain his misgivings to the Greens about the "humanitarian exchange". "We can only do it if the guerrilla agree to abandon definitely the practice of kidnapping, states Mockus. "The State cannot agree to yield under pressure of blackmail. That would encourage the guerrillas to continue."

Well groomed and elegant, Clara de Rojas does not give out about anyone. Her daughter, friend and associate of Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped the same day, 23 February 2002. She has been forgotten. Clara de Rojas does not speak, she only weeps.