Sarko outs Correa as a liar

Yesterday Robert Neiman of the Huffington Post was playing the world's smallest violin over Rafael Correa's statement,

Ecuador says it was in talks with rebels to release 12 hostages, including Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans, that the talks were in an advanced stage, and that the process was thwarted by the Colombian raid.

Of course Correa's going to bring up Ingrid Betancourt: she's the FARC's most valuable hostage. As a Colombian-French citizen, France has constantly pursued negotiations towards her release.

Unfortunately for Correa, Nicolas Sarkozy has shown Correa as a liar: France did not contact late FARC leader "recently"

The number two man of the rebel Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), who was killed last Saturday in an attack the Colombian Army launched on Ecuadorian territory, did not contact "recently" French officials to address the release of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, Wednesday said French government's spokesperson Laurent Wauquiez.

The spokesman was replying to a statement the FARC made on Tuesday that Reyes was in Ecuador making efforts to arrange a meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy to discuss the situation facing Betancourt and other FARC-held hostages, AFP reported.

"In fact, in the past, yet not recently, Reyes was an interlocutor of France, but in the same way he was an interlocutor of the countries involved in efforts for the release of the hostages," Wauquiez told reporters following a cabinet meeting.

"For some time he was an interlocutor of the countries involved in the release of hostages, particularly France and Switzerland, but not during the last few days in particular," the spokesman added.

It's worth noting the source of the story on the "upcoming" Betancourt release:

According to the FARC's communique - published by the Bolivarian Press Agency (close to the guerrilla group), Reyes, with the mediation of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, was trying to arrange a meeting with Sarkozy to find a solution to Betancourt's situation.

That is, Correa was telling a lie based on what Chavez wanted people to believe.

All the hostages recently released by the FARC have stated that Betancourt is near death.

Sarko made himself totally clear during a press conference for the Colombian media: France's Sarkozy urges FARC to free Betancourt

French President Nicolas Sarkozy warned the leader of Colombia's FARC rebel movement on Thursday that he would be viewed as murderer throughout the world if he let hostage Ingrid Betancourt die.

Daniel explains,

That is right, Sarkozy implied that there was no more 300 million payments to the FARC or retreats inside Venezuela and Ecuador: the solution of this whole problem was in the hands of the FARC. That he added that Uribe understood that the solution could not be only military was in fact a reinforcement of the message to the FARC: do the political thing and release Ingrid because if the FARC also choses only the military exit then Uribe might just win.

Correa went visiting with Hugo and both had a cadena (by which all licensed TV stations in Venezuela show Hugo's show only) and ranted about Colombia. Do keep in mind that Hugo's holding Correa by the purse strings.

Last night the FARC blew up an oil pipeline (h/t Gateway Pundit). As expected, the FARC did it in retaliation.

In the meantime, Ecuador and Colombia (that's right, Ecuador) agreed to an OAS resolution that brought down a notch the rethoric we've been hearing by setting up a commission that "will propose formulas for approachment between both parties". A meeting was scheduled on March 17 at OAS headquarters in Washington to follow up on their findings and recommendations.

As Daniel said, the Prozac is starting to hit the spot.

The real news? The real news behind South America's latest border fracas is Colombia's looming victory in its own narcotics-powered civil war.

UPDATE
This Ain't Hell's also blogging about it.
Free trade and Colombia
Via Larwyn and Prairie Pundit, Colombia ignores Chavez's war.



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