Center for International Policy

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Cuba may be aiding hostages' release
Cuba, long an intermediary between rebels and the government in Colombia, may be more engaged in issues there than previously known.

By Frances Robles
Miami Herald

The surprise appearance of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, a Colombian senator and the mother of high-profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt in Havana last weekend suggests that Cuba may emerge as a player in the efforts to free Colombia's captives.

Cuba has long been a go-between between Colombian rebels and the government they seek to overthrow. But Havana was uncharacteristically silent during last week's diplomatic crisis between Colombia and Ecuador, suggesting to experts that Raúl Castro could be trying to win Betancourt's freedom.

When Latin American presidents across the hemisphere took to their microphones last week to rant about Colombia's crossborder raid into Ecuador, Cuba's new head of state was glaringly absent. He didn't summon masses of Cubans to march in front of the Colombian embassy to protest the bombing of a leftist rebel camp in Ecuador, never blasted Colombian President Alvaro Uribe at a public speech, and didn't even hold a news conference.

In fact, other than a private phone call to the president of Ecuador, Castro did not say anything at all -- although his ailing and retired brother Fidel wrote a column on the dispute.

"It was very interesting to see how little Cuba had to say," said Wayne Smith, a former head of the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana. "Raúl Castro is just not a fire-eater. Fidel could never have remained silent."

The sudden visit to Havana by Chávez, Colombia's opposition Sen. Piedad Córdoba and Yolanda Pulecio, the mother of Betancourt, hinted that Cuba is more engaged in Colombian issues than previously known.

ENLISTING CUBA'S HELP

Córdoba, who has been deeply involved in the talks to release hostages held by the FARC guerrillas, said she plans to return to Cuba in two weeks to speak with Raúl Castro about a possible humanitarian accord with the rebels.

''Will Cuba have a direct role? I don't think so,'' Córdoba told The Miami Herald. "That would require the approval of the Colombian government. I met with Raúl Castro briefly last week, and he indicated he would be happy to help out.''

The trio's trip to Cuba came as a surprise even to Betancourt's husband, Juan Carlos Lecompte, who said he first learned of it watching BBC news footage of his mother-in-law in Havana.

''I thought it was excellent,'' Lecompte said in a telephone interview from Bogotá. "Cuba is very friendly with President Chávez, and the more countries that try to resolve this drama Colombia is living the better. Insofar as we have been able to internationalize this problem, it has given results: There have been six liberations so far this year.''

The FARC is believed to hold hundreds of hostages, among them Betancourt, a former presidential candidate who has been a captive in the jungle since February of 2002.

Chávez and Córdoba have served as mediators to help free her and many others, but Uribe cut off Chávez's role when the Venezuelan leader broke the rules by communicating directly with the head of the Colombian military.

Despite the setback, the FARC released six hostages in January and February, including Betancourt's friend and campaign manager Clara Rojas. Among those present at the first hostage release deep in the Colombian jungle was Cuba's ambassador to Caracas.

Upon her return from Cuba, Córdoba told reporters, she plans to tour Latin America, Europe and the United States to gather support for a ''friend countries'' commission with the goal of freeing the hostages.

''That could include Argentina, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Brazil and obviously Venezuela,'' Córdoba told Venezuela's Union Radio. "Other . . . countries could also be contemplated.''

She said she would seek the help of Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and Chile's Michelle Bachelet, but did not mention Cuba.

Colombian police have released FARC documents from a computer found at the rebel camp bombed earlier this month, indicating that Chávez has been shutting Cuba out of the hostage discussions.

''And those guys are complaining,'' one document said. Another said Havana "is feeling marginalized.''

'SEEMS APPROPRIATE'

Past Colombian government negotiations with a smaller Colombian rebel group, the ELN, have taken place in Cuba.

''It seems appropriate for my mother-in-law to speak to the new president of Cuba, Raúl Castro, to get more countries involved,'' Lecompte said. "As a communist country, Cuba could be helpful because they identify ideologically with the guerrillas.''

Cuba may have had other reasons to stay quiet during the Andean crisis last week: Venezuela, which escalated the Colombia-Ecuador diplomatic dispute by sending 10 battalions to the border, is a major supplier of oil to the island. Cuba's foreign debt to Venezuela is believed to be $8 billion, according to a University of Miami study.

''I can't imagine Cuba would want to see Colombia and Venezuela going to war, hurting Venezuela's economy and hurting Venezuelan oil production,'' said William LeoGrande, a Cuba expert at American University. "If the Cubans do feel they could play a constructive role behind the scenes, they would not want to put that at risk.''

Miami Herald correspondent Tyler Bridges contributed from Bogotá. For more news about the island, visit the Herald's Cuba blog, Cuban Colada.