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CU Senator German Bual Hoyos speaking (Spanish SOT)
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CU One of the two reporters released by guerrillas, speaks. (Spanish SOT)
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Initials AL/JRS





Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: The Colombian government has high hopes for the success of its amnesty offer to the country's estimated six thousand guerrillas, according to Senator German Bula Hoyos. Senator Hoyos, speaking at a news conference in Bogota to Colombia's internal divisions. the amnesty would be backed up with social and economic measures, said Senator Hoyos. He assured the nation the government would honour its promises to the guerrillas. One of the two journalists kidnapped by M-19 guerrillas and released in Ecuador several days earlier, has said that he has a letter for the Colombian President Belisario Betancur from M-19 leader, Jaime Beteman. this letter, he said, sets out the conditions under which the guerrillas would accept an amnesty. These include a six-month ceasefire, a full guarantee of that ceasefire and national peace talks. The journalist said the guerrillas wanted a truce with the government and a national debate on the problems of the colombian people. The amnesty is the latest attempt by the government to end the political violence that has plagued this South American nation for the past 40 years.