Colombia withdraws backing for Chavez mediation effort/ Uribe suspende mediación de Chávez

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe abruptly ended Wednesday Hugo Chavez's role as a mediator in a potential hostage swap with leftist rebels, saying the Venezuelan president had ignored a key request.Uribe gave his blessing in August for Chavez to mediate an offer by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to exchange 45 high-profile hostages, including three Americans contractors and French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, for 500 FARC prisoners. But he withdrew his support after Chavez contacted Colombia's army chief, General Mario Montoya, about the hostages, even though Uribe had asked him on November 10 not to speak directly to his top brass, his office said ( full information)/ Colombia suspendió ayer sorpresivamente la labor de mediación del presidente de Venezuela ante la mayor guerrilla izquierdista del país para lograr la liberación de un grupo de rehenes secuestrados, incluida la ex candidata presidencial Ingrid Betancourt."El presidente de la República da por terminada la facilitación de la senadora Piedad Córdoba y la mediación del presidente Hugo Chávez, a quienes agradece la ayuda que estaban prestando", dijo un comunicado del gobierno del presidente Álvaro Uribe, según Reuters. ( información completa)