CARACAS, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez urged Colombian rebels on Sunday to lay down their weapons, unilaterally free dozens of hostages and put an end to a decades-long armed struggle against Colombia's government.

Chavez sent the uncharacteristically strong message to the leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, saying their ongoing efforts to overthrow Colombia's democratically elected government were unjustified.

"The guerrilla war is history," said Chavez, speaking during his weekly television and radio program, "Hello President."

Such declarations were unexpected from Chavez, a self-described socialist who earlier this year called on world governments to remove the FARC from terrorist lists and suggested the guerrillas should be recognized as a legitimate insurgent force.

Addressing new FARC leader Alfonso Cano, Chavez said, "I think the time has come to free all of the hostages you have. It would be a great, humanitarian gesture. In exchange for nothing."

In the past, the guerrillas have said they would be willing to release hostages in exchange for imprisoned guerrillas in Colombia and the United States.

Carlos Lozano, who in the past has acted as a mediator between the rebels and the government, told Caracol radio Sunday that he had re-established contact with the FARC in the hopes of facilitating hostage releases.

Lozano, the editor of a communist newspaper, said that while he had not spoken directly with Cano, "everything is going the right way".

But a FARC statement posted Sunday on a sympathetic Web site suggested the group was far from considering laying down its arms.

Written by rebel leader Luciano Marin Arango, alias Ivan Marquez, and dated June 5, the statement demanded that new elections be called to oust Colombia's government and Congress.

The FARC's "strategic objective is the taking of power for the people," the statement said.

Marquez also claimed that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is overseeing plans to kill Chavez and leftist Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa.

Recent efforts to free high-profile hostage Ingrid Betancourt and others have failed. The situation worsened when Colombia waged a cross-border raid on a rebel camp in Ecuador in March that killed a FARC leader.

The raid prompted both Chavez and Correa to send troops briefly to their respective borders with Colombia. Ecuador went a step further and cut off diplomatic relations, which still have not been restored fully.

"You in the FARC should know something: You have become an excuse for the empire to threaten all of us," he said, using his frequently employed term for the United States. "The day that peace arrives in Colombia, the empire will have no excuses."

The Venezuelan leader's comments could help improve diplomatic relations with Colombia, which have been strained for months due to Colombia's allegations that Chavez could be aiding the FARC.

Chavez repeatedly has denied secretly supporting the FARC, saying his government's contacts with the guerrillas have been aimed only at securing the release of rebel-held hostages.

Meanwhile, Colombia's chief prosecutor said a Venezuelan National Guard officer and a second Venezuelan were among four people arrested while carrying tens of thousands of Kalashnikov rounds that Colombian authorities believe were destined for the FARC. The Kalashnikov is the FARC's standard-issue weapon.

Two of the men had Venezuelan identity papers and one claimed to be a sergeant in the national guard, prosecutor Mario Iguaran said in a statement Friday. The four were captured in eastern Colombia, close to the porous border with Venezuela.

Colombia's foreign minister has asked Venezuelan authorities to help investigate.

Inside Colombia, a huge arms black market supplies leftist guerrillas, right-wing death squads and the drug cartels.

In a statement issued Sunday, Venezuela's foreign ministry announced that authorities were cooperating with Colombia to help determine the identities of the two detainees.

LOL!

BBC Report...might be spun some:

End struggle, Chavez urges Farc

******************

00:35 GMT, Monday, 9 June 2008 01:35 UK

End struggle, Chavez urges Farc

Colombia has previously accused Hugo Chavez of funding Farc

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has urged the new leader of Colombia's Farc rebels to end their four-decade struggle and release all hostages.

Mr Chavez, who Colombia has accused of financing Farc, said the rebel group was "out of step" and that its "guerrilla war is history".

Alfonso Cano was named the new leader of Farc in May after the death of long-time leader Manuel Marulanda.

Mr Chavez has been involved in recent mediation on hostage releases.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) hold many hostages, including about 40 high-profile ones they say they want to swap for imprisoned rebels.

At this moment in Latin America, an armed guerrilla movement is out of place

Hugo Chavez

Farc under pressure

Send us your comments

In his weekly television and radio programme on Sunday, Mr Chavez urged Mr Cano to "let all these people go".

"There are old folk, women, sick people, soldiers who have been prisoners in the mountain for 10 years," he added.

The Venezuelan president said ending the rebellion could lead to a peace process between the rebels and the Colombian government.

"The guerrilla war is history," he said. "At this moment in Latin America, an armed guerrilla movement is out of place."

Raid

BBC Americas editor Emilio San Pedro says the message represents an about-face for a man who a few months ago called on the world to regard the Farc as a legitimate army rather than a terrorist group.

Our correspondent says Mr Chavez' critics will wonder whether this drastic change is related to allegations by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe - who has accused President Chavez of giving the rebels $300m.

In March Colombia said it had found documents on a computer that proved Venezuela funded Farc.

The computer was seized during a raid on a Farc camp in Ecuador, in which another senior Farc leader, Raul Reyes, was killed.

Venezuela said any contacts with Farc were solely made as part of a humanitarian effort to free hostages.

The captives include Franco-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three Americans.

Earlier this year Mr Chavez negotiated the release of two key hostages, Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez.

Late last year his official mediation role was terminated by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who said Mr Chavez had overstepped his responsibilities.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.