BRIEFS. international

Former farc hostage plans panama trip

Colombian Luis Eladio Pérez, who was released last February by FARC after being held by the group for six years, plans to travel to Panama to meet with President Martín Torrijos in the next few weeks.

Since his release in February, Pérez has been traveling around the world to press for the release of other FARC hostages, most notably former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, with whom he spent four years.

He has already met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and plans to travel to the United States to meet with officials there. He also said yesterday that he plans to travel to Panama.

"We are trying to arrange a meeting with President Torrijos in the next few weeks," Pérez said.

Government spokesman Eric Rodríguez Auerbach said that the president's office has not been contacted about any potential visit.

Panama is currently holding six suspected FARC members who were involved in a gun fight with police on Feb. 22 off the coast of Jaqué, in the Darién.

Several of the prisoners have denied that they have any connection to FARC, and have made allegations of police brutality. The police have denied those allegations.