“We took the decision to offer several rewards, five million pesos, (2.1 million dollars or 1.7 million Euro) to any person who can help us find the kidnap victims in the country”, declared Uribe who was in the port of Buenaventura on the Pacific coast. Strengthened by the support of the USA who have stated their support for a military solution, nevertheless President Uribe refuses to supply proof that the recent bomb attack was indeed the work of FARC.

Asked to comment, the vice-Secretary of State, Nicholas Burns on a visit to Bogota, stated in effect that Washington “fully approved” of the Colombian government’s decision. “We have a common interest in helping out and we have achieved a solid partnership between Colombia and the United States. We fully support the government of Colombia and we wish it well, hoping that Colombians can live without fear of this group of terrorists”, stated Burns through an interpreter.

For his part, Uribe refuses categorically to give the slightest proof that last week’s attack was indeed organised by FARC. ”The government never makes hasty conclusions; every time that I have made accusations they have been proved and I have never been wrong”, he declared in an interview.

For the record, during the last few months, the government had blamed FARC directly for bomb attacks similar to last week’s. Last July it appeared that in effect some units of the Colombian army had carried it out.

Last Tuesday, in Bogota, the families of hostages gathered together to ask the government to give priority to negotiations, rather than a military solution, to achieve freedom for their loved ones.