In a letter from chancellor Jaime Bermúdez, the Colombian government formally rejected Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's offer to mediate in a peace process with the FARC guerillas. The letter also objected to Ortega's reference to the FARC as "brothers," calling it "offensive to the Colombian nation to grant this kind of treatment to...a terrorist group that commits crimes against humanity." (ANMCLA, July 20)

At a Managua celebration of the 29th anniversary of the Sandinsta revolution, Ortega shot back at Bogotá, asserting, "We do not have to ask anyone's permission to struggle for peace." He called the Colombian government "oligarchical" and a client of the US, and dismissed as "ridiculous" and "absurd" Colombia's assertion of sovereignty over Caribbean waters claimed by Nicaragua. (La Prensa, Nicaragua, July 20)

See our last posts on Nicaragua, Colombia and the maritime dispute.