Colombian rebels suspend peace talks

FARC is still angry about government meetings with right-wing paramilitaries

Colombia's largest left-wing rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), has suspended peace talks with the government.

A rebel spokesman, Andres Paris, said in the southern province of Putumayo that the talks would be frozen until the authorities take action against right-wing paramilitaries.

The rebels condemned a meeting held last week between Interior Minister Humberto de la Calle and the paramilitary leader, Carlos Castano, to secure the release of eight politicians held hostage by the paramilitaries.

Colombian Government negotiators and FARC rebels were due to start discussing ceasefire proposals on Tuesday.

There has been little headway made since efforts to end the conflict peacefully began in January 1999.

The government suspended talks in September when FARC refused to hand over one of its members who escaped from prison and hijacked a plane to territory it controlled.

But the government backed down again in October and agreed to resume talks.

Fighting in the south

The breakdown in negotiations followed an army offensive in Putumayo, in which at least 10 rebels were reported killed.

The coca-producing province, which borders Peru and Ecuador, is expected to be a target of Plan Colombia, an effort by President Andres Pastrana to end the country's civil war.

The plan, which is partly financed by $1.3bn of US aid, includes efforts to wipe out cocaine production.

The Associated Press quoted US officials as saying that an anti-drug offensive could begin in Putumayo as early as next month using troops trained by elite US soldiers.

Mr Pastrana's government has accused FARC of using the drug trade to finance its military campaign.

And FARC has countered that the US is using the anti-drugs campaign as a cover for its taking sides in the civil war.