Via Reuters: Gov. Richardson meets Chavez over hostages

The governor of New Mexico met on Saturday with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in an effort to restart talks with neighboring Colombia to secure the release of hostages held by leftist rebels.

[...]

Richardson, who was a U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and has helped release Americans held in Sudan, Iraq, North Korea and Cuba, was asked by the hostages’ families to help seek their release. His mother is Mexican and he speaks fluent Spanish.

I must confess, it is unclear to me what Richardson’s presence will do in this situation. Still, given the dire situation of the hostages, I can’t see any actual damage from his visit. Yes, I know that some will see this as somehow being a PR win for Chávez, although I am not sure how photos and a chat with the Governor of New Mexico will make much of a difference one way or another over the long haul.¹

And, Richardson is right, while the political discussion will focus on Chávez and whether or not he is scoring political points, the basic fact of the matter is as follows:

“Many times in a conflict like this we forget the human side, that human beings are being held hostage.”

And regardless of why, the fact of the matter is that Chávez’s involvement in the situation has led to some FARC-held hostages being released. Such a positive outcome needs to be acknowledged, regardless of one’s views of Hugo Chávez.

1. Exactly what is the big deal about getting a photo op with Bill Richardson, really? [↩]