FARC doctor presumed dead; Military action against the rebels continue despite commitments to and hopes for negotiations

Caracas Daily Journal (Vincent Bevins): "Mauricio," second in command in the eastern bloc of the FARC, is suspected to have been killed in combat in Colombia. Colombian military authorities are waiting for a test to confirm the identity of the body, but Colombian paper El Tiempo said it first received news from sources close to the rebel group. He was also known as "The Doctor" and had worked as a personal medic for septuagenarian founder of the Marxist rebel guerrilla group, "Sureshot" Marulanda.

Meanwhile, the Colombian Foreign Minister gave "guarantees" for cooperation with FARC hostage liberations.

Speaking in Washington, he said that "We will facilitate and give guarantees for any unilateral and unconditional turnover" of hostages. Currently family members and the Colombian governments await the turnover of three ex-congresspersons announced by the FARC.

These comments echo the statement of the Colombian government in recent months, that the FARC are dangerous terrorists whose hostage releases must come without anything in return. Nevertheless, two have been released and three more have been promised. But Araújo this time mentioned the possibility of an accord, of an exchange of 40 hostages for imprisoned guerrillas, but added that "the humanitarian accord happens only with the willingness of the FARC to do it." He said that several attempts to achieve hostage liberations failed due to "FARC intransigence."

Reports from the two hostages earlier this year, however, purport that the high-profile first attempt at their release was actually disturbed by Colombian military attacks on the hostage convoy leading to the meeting point.

It is nuclear whether the announcement of the death of "Mauricio," presumably due to Colombian military violence, might affect the FARC's inclination to unilaterally release hostages to the Venezuelan government.

Mother of high-profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt has recently publicly prayed that Uribe stopped attacks on the rebels, especially those near supposed hostage holding places, saying they put the lives of the kidnapped in danger.

Mauricio was a doctor by profession and founder of the FARC National Commission of Health, and in 2003 was named part of the Secretariat. Despite his low public profile, he had become a key objective for authorities due to the importance he has in the organization. He had been given the role of organizing the health system of the organization in 1993. By 2000, he already had a network of doctors in Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Bucaramanga and Sincelejo. They attended to sick or wounded guerrillas.

Despite calls for negotiations from Chávez and high-profile hostage talks, Colombian military forces continually carry out operations against the leftist rebels.