August 24, 2007: FARC continues to lose ground inside Colombia, and is calling in more outside help to force the government to set up a "liberated zone" in the south, where the rebels could be free of constant army patrols and raids. Venezuela has offered to help mediate, and arrange a swap of jailed rebels for kidnap victims, and the establishment of the liberated zone. Leftist Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, who is trying to change the law so he can be president for life, is happy to help the leftist FARC become stronger. Chavez has made no secret of his desire to establish leftist dictatorships all across South America. FARC is also calling on its leftist allies in the U.S. to put pressure on the Colombian government to ease up on military operations, and cut back on U.S. aid to the government.

Meanwhile, the criminal activities of the Colombian leftists are spilling over into Venezuela. Colombian leftist rebels (the ELN) are being accused of kidnapping four Portuguese citizens near the Colombian border. ELN denies it, and it's possible that the kidnappers are former ELN. At the moment, the ELN is in worse shape than FARC, and losing many members as a result.