A Roman Catholic leader met Thursday with imprisoned commanders of Colombia's second-largest rebel group in an attempt to secure the release of four Israelis and three European hostages.
The Rev. Dario Echeverri told The Associated Press he held several hours of talks at the high-security Itagui jail in northwest Colombia with Francisco Galan and Felipe Torres of the leftist National Liberation Army, or ELN.
But Echeverri, who is also the secretary-general of the National Reconciliation Commission, declined to comment on the content of the discussions. Earlier this week, he accepted a formal government request to act as a mediator in the kidnappings.
Gunmen seized eight backpackers — four Israelis, two Britons, a German and a Spaniard — from ancient jungle ruins in the Sierra Nevada mountains on Sept. 12. The ELN has said it carried out the abductions to raise awareness about the plight of impoverished villagers, but has not issued ransom demands.
One of the British hostages, Matthew Scott, later escaped and has since being reunited with his family.
Galan, speaking to the AP from the prison by mobile phone, also declined to provide details. A senior commander of the ELN, Galan was captured more than a decade ago but retains influence with the Cuban-inspired group and has mediated in past kidnappings.
He is serving a 30-year sentence for guerrilla-related activities.
Thursday's meetings came a day after the government's top peace negotiator, Luis Carlos Restrepo, also discussed the fate of the hostages with Galan and Torres at the Itagui prison. Those talks included an offer by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to free the pair if they agree to turn themselves into "fighters for peace," Uribe's office said.
Colombia is the world's kidnapping capital, with nearly 3,000 people taken hostage each year. Three U.S. military contractors and a former presidential candidate are among those being held.