Chavez's Call for FARC Disarmament Takes Washington By Surprise

Washington's foreign policy establishment -- and much of the U.S. media -- was taken by surprise this week when President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, said the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) should lay down their arms and unconditionally release all of their hostages. The FARC is a guerilla group that has been fighting to overthrow the Colombian government for more than four decades. Chavez's announcement should not have come as a surprise, because he had already said the same things several months ago. On January 13, for example, Chavez said: 'I do not agree with the armed struggle, and that is one of the things that I want to talk to Marulanda (the head of the FARC who died last March) about.' Chavez also stated his opposition to kidnapping, and has made numerous public appeals for the FARC to release their hostages.