Colombia president cancels FARC trip

Serpa is taking a tough stance against the rebels

Colombian President Andres Pastrana has cancelled a visit to rebel-controlled territory in the south of the country - only hours after he announced he was going.

Today's events without a doubt have serious implications for the peace process

President Andres Pastrana

President Pastrana said he would visit the stronghold of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, after a candidate in next year's presidential elections was prevented from entering the area.

The FARC controls territory about the size of Switzerland, which was ceded to them in 1998 in an attempt to launch peace talks.

The government has until 8 October to decide whether to allow the FARC to remain in control of the area.

Mr Pastrana began talks with the FARC in 1999, but there has been little progress in the past two years.

He did not explain why he had decided not to travel to the FARC-controlled area.

Convoy halted

Horacio Serpa, the Liberal Party candidate, was blocked by the FARC at Balsillas, 200km (125 miles) south of the capital Bogota.

He had driven there with thousands of his supporters in a 112-bus convoy to try and step up the pressure on the FARC to make concessions and halt alleged human rights abuses in the area they control.

The government has been talking to FARC rebels to little avail

"It's not Horacio Serpa who has lost," the candidate, who has been leading polls ahead of presidential elections scheduled for May, told reporters. "What has lost is democracy."

Before the procession set out, the 16,000-strong FARC announced that it had blocked a road along the route due to fighting with troops in the area.

An army spokesman in Bogota confirmed that there had been clashes in that area on Saturday.

And FARC warned that it could not guarantee Mr Serpa's safety if the caravan proceeded.

'Campaign tactic'

Rebel chief Manuel Marulanda has accused Mr Serpa trying to gain votes by taking a tough stance against the guerrillas.

Car bombs and kidnappings are a feature of Colombia's unrest

After metal spikes were put on the road, causing flat tyres in some of the convoy's vehicles, Mr Serpa and his supporters had no choice but to proceed to the southern city of Neiva, to spend the night.

The 37-year-old civil war waged by the FARC and a smaller leftist rebel army against the government and a rival right-wing paramilitary army has claimed at least 3,000 lives every year.

Mr Serpa is currently leading the polls ahead of next May's vote.

His Liberal Party is a traditional opponent of Mr Pastrana's Conservatives, although Mr Serpa had consistently backed the president's peace negotiations with the guerrillas.

However independent presidential candidate Alvaro Uribe has been gaining support with his call for a crackdown on the rebels.

Mr Serpa has now started to toughen his own position on the FARC.

Both candidates in have made political capital from attacking the president's conciliatory approach.

Mr Pastrana is barred by the constitution from standing for reelection.