The Colombian Catholic Church confirmed that it had telephone contact with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla high Chief Alfonso Cano and another leader, whom are both interested in presenting a peace proposal to Alvaro Uribe's government.

Cardinal Darío Castrillón, ex-president of the clergy congregation and of the papal commission Ecclesia Dei, said that he had spoken with the rebels in virtue of the authorization to mediate with the FARC, which Colombian President Alvaro Uribe gave to the Church.

The prelate made the announcement after leaving a meeting with President Uribe, in which several issues were analyzed, among them the contact with Alfonso Cano and the supposed peace initiative he proposed. Uribe said last April that the only ones authorized to establish contacts with the FARC so as to realize the delivery of hostages in power of the guerrilla are the Catholic Church and the International Red Cross. However, two months later, Uribe authorized the opposition congress-woman Piedad Córdoba to also participate in the delivery of hostages that the rebels announced would be liberated.

The FARC guerrilla announced in April that they would liberate Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who has been a hostage for almost 12 years, and another soldier, and will deliver them to Córdoba. Also, they promised to delivery the body of a policeman who died in captivity.