|
Hostage talks progress between Peruvian government, rebels
February 15, 1997
Web posted at: 4:30 p.m. EST (2130 GMT)LIMA, Peru (CNN) -- A mediator working to resolve Peru's hostage standoff reported "real progress" as talks to end the two-month-old crisis entered its second consecutive day.
Negotiations resumed Saturday morning when Tupac Amaru representative Roli Rojas Fernandez and government negotiator Domingo Palermo met.
Palermo and Rojas met for three hours Friday in a house across the street from the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima, where rebels have been holding 72 hostages for more than eight weeks.
"The conversations have resulted in real progress," Canadian Ambassador Anthony Vincent, a mediator and former hostage, said after Friday's meeting.
Palermo added that a meeting Tuesday with Rojas had produced agreements on how future talks would be conducted, but no specifics have been released.
Earlier Friday, Red Cross workers entered the ambassador's house with Valentine's Day gifts -- boxes of chocolate bars and CDs of romantic music sent by spouses and relatives of the hostages. Several weeks ago, six CD players were delivered to the residence.
No Valentine's cards were delivered, a Red Cross spokesperson said, because the screening process ordered by rebels and police would have taken too long.
The standoff began December 17 when rebels stormed the ambassador's home during a gala party and took about 500 of his guests hostage. Since then, all but the 72 men -- mostly Peruvian VIPs and Japanese businessmen -- have been released.
The rebels have demanded the release of hundreds of their jailed colleagues and safe passage for hostage-takers into the jungle. But the government has refused to give in to those demands.
Related stories:
- Peru's president, amid hostage standoff, to meet with Albright - February 2, 1997
- Peru, Japan agree to seek peaceful end to hostage-taking - February 1, 1997
- Sound of music replaces gunfire at Peru standoff - January 28, 1997
- Shots ring out in Peru - January 27, 1997
- Rhetoric heats up on both sides of hostage dispute - January 24, 1997
- Rebels refuse to budge in Peru - January 18, 1997
- A hostage is freed in Peru as government invites talks - January 17, 1997
- Peruvian rebels release one more hostage - January 17, 1997
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser window
- The MRTA Solidarity Page by Arm the Spirit
- Voz Rebelde Internacional -- the official page of the MRTA in Europe (in Spanish)
- Internet Network of Peru
- Peru Home Page (in Spanish)
- Hemisferio Sur (in Spanish) - links to "Caretas" magazine, and "La Republica" and "Expreso" newspapers
- Peru Info Internet
- International Committee of the Red Cross
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
Tell us what you think!
You said it...
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.