CHAVEZ: WHAT ABOUT THESE HOSTAGES?

Rodriguez Chacin: the uncoordinated coordinator.

Chavez and Kirchner: lost in the Colombian jungle.

LIST OF VENEZUELAN CITIZENS KIDNAPPED BY THE COLOMBIAN TERRORISTS, FARC.

WHAT IS CHAVEZ DOING ABOUT THEM? NOTHING.

Carlos Eduardo Rosales, San Juan de Colón 06-07-2002

Euman R. Moncada, Torbes 08-08-2002

Arcángel Moreno, La Fría 31-01-2003

Nelson Esteves, San Crisóbal 23-01-2003,

Porfilio Dávila Arellano, Rubio 23-04-2003

Rigoberto Chaparro Colón 21-06-2003

Rafael Antonio Gutierrez Coloncito 19-08-2003

Argenido Rico García El Milagro 15-10-2003

Vitre Mundo Borrero San Joaquín de Navay 18-10-2003

Efraín Acosta Suárez Abejales 24-10-2003

Ana de Dios Pabón Cordero 03-12-2003

José Antony Pabón Cordero 03-12-2003

Germán Chacon Vivas Cordero 03-12-2003

Ramon Alfonso Velazco Rubio 28-02-2004

Ornella Ferranti San Cristóbal 31-08-2004

José Ildemaro Vivas San Cristóbal 08-09-2005

Faustino Santos La ceiba 21-10-2005

Reinar Zambrano Troncal 5 22-04-2006

Blanco Oliva Delgado Rubio 07-09-2007

Antonio José Galviz El Piñal 28-03-2007

Carlos Arias La Fría 30-10-2007

Luis Osorio Barboza San Cristóbal 20-11-2007

Janibel Alcedo Táriba 22-11-2007

Doris Perez Táriba 22-11-2007

These Venezuelans, listed above with their places of residence and the year they were kidnapped, are reported to be still in the hands of the Colombian narco guerrillas, the FARC. They have not had the benefit of Chavez's efforts to be liberated from the terrorists. They have been kidnapped mostly for ransom, one of the sources of guerrilla financing, together with drug trafficking. Being modest, non -notorious Venezuelan citizens, their release offers no political dividends. In contrast, the Colombian hostages being freed through the operation now under way would give both FARC and Chavez political dividends, painting them in a humanitarian, flexible light, while eroding the image of the Colombian government.

What is incredible is the manner in which the rescue operation has been handled: airplanes, helicopters, 700 journalists, former presidents like Kirchner, ministers and ambassadors from Latin American nations and from Europe have converged on the Colombian jungle, together with a filmaker, Oliver Stone, as well as Hugo Chavez, flamboyantly dressed in combat fatigues and red beret and an inept coordinator of the operation who does not seem to know where the coordinates are. What a ridiculous bunch!

As I write this note, the hostages, two women and a child, have not yet been handed over by the terrorists, after four days of this vaudeville. For all I know they could have been put in a car and taken to Bogota but that would have been too simple, not spectacular enough. They will be finally handed over (we hope) in a gigantic operation characterized by blunders, inefficiency and a tragic lack of true human compasion.

This obscene and hypocritical manipulation by Chavez will make him lose even more ground in the eyes of the civilized world. Shame on him and shame on the clowns like Kirchner and Oliver Stone who have been willing to go along with this fraud.