Pubdate: Fri, 31 Dec 2004
Source: BBC News (UK Web)
Copyright: 2004 BBC
Contact:  http://news.bbc.co.uk/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/558
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/colombia.htm (Colombia)

COLOMBIA HANDS FARC LEADER TO U.S.

The most prominent jailed leader of Colombia's leftist Farc rebels has
been handed over to the US to face charges of drug-trafficking and
abduction.

A US plane collected Simon Trinidad after heavily armed troops took
him to an airfield outside the capital Bogota.

The Farc leader, whose real name is Ricardo Palmera, was extradited to
Colombia from Ecuador last year.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe agreed to the new extradition after
rebels failed to free more than 60 hostages.

Among those held by the group are former Colombian presidential
candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three US citizens and dozens of Colombian
army officers and political figures.

The BBC's Jeremy McDermott reports from Colombia that the extradition
is certain to upset the Farc and it remains to be seen what their
response will be.

US captives

Palmera was convicted by a Colombian court of kidnapping and rebellion
in May and sentenced to 35 years in jail.

His original arrest was heralded as a triumph by the Colombian
security forces, who have vowed to kill or capture the guerrilla high
command.

In an unorthodox offer, President Uribe had said he would halt
Palmera's extradition if the guerrillas released 63 political hostages
they held by 30 December.

The rebels refused, saying the hostages would only be liberated in
exchange for hundreds of guerrillas held in prison.

A US federal court in Washington has charged Palmera with trafficking
five kilos (11 pounds) or more of cocaine and involvement in
kidnapping Americans.

Three US government contractors were captured by the Farc in February
2003 when their aircraft crashed during a mission to find illegal drug
crops.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin