Colombia Reports

Families of soldiers and policemen held captive by the FARC seek a meeting with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe.

"We want to talk to him, we want to tell him to open the door" for the liberation of the hostages, Marleny Orjuela, president of Asfamipaz, an NGO for victims of kidnapping, told news agency EFE.

"The families are suffering. And we are sure that those liberations will open the door for freedom for all our families," Orjuela said.

"What we have to do, the families of the kidnapped policemen and soldiers, is to touch his [Uribe's] human heart, like the families of the kidnapped politicians managed to do," the president of Asfamipaz added.

Orjuela referred to meetings of Uribe with families of various politicians who were hold captive by the FARC. The politicians were released unilaterally or, like Ingrid Betancourt, in rescue operation 'Jaque'.

The FARC released proof of life videos of six policemen and three soldiers on Monday. "We received them with joy, because the men are alive. But we are also very said and worried to see that they are very weak...," Orjuela said. The activist indicated that the hostages are wondering why Uribe "does not change his view and help them to find a solution." According to opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba, more hostage videos are expected soon.

President Uribe set several conditions for the release of the kidnapped soldiers and policemen, which has deadlocked the release of two hostages the FARC promised to release. The head of state demands an unilateral release of all hostages at once. 

Furthermore, Uribe denied Senator Piedad Cordoba to negotiate the hostage liberation as sought by the FARC. Uribe only allowed her to be present together with the Catholic Church and the Red Cross when the rebels release the kidnapped soldiers and policemen.

The FARC holds 24 members of the security forces and a few hundred civilians hostage.