By FRANK BAJAK
             Associated Press

             BOGOTA, Colombia -- After fighting the government for more than three
             decades, Colombia's main rebel group is ready to enter peace talks once a new
             president is elected, its leader says.

             Manuel Marulanda, chief of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia,
             or FARC, made the proposal in a videotape broadcast Saturday night by the
             Bogota news program, 24 Hours.

             The offer was immediately accepted by the three leading candidates in next
             Sunday's elections to choose a successor to President Ernesto Samper. The rebels
             have refused to deal with Samper, whose election is shrouded in allegations he
             took contributions from the Cali drug cartel.

             ``The day after the elections, I'm prepared to initiate contacts with the guerrillas,''
             said Andres Pastrana of the Conservative Party, who is leading in opinion polls.

             His main rival, Horacio Serpa of the governing Liberals, said he was ``ready to
             immediately initiate negotiations with the FARC, in the areas they have
             designated.''

             Noemi Sanin, the former foreign minister running third, said she would happily
             assume the ``marvelous responsibility of reconciliation.''

             Marulanda said the rebel group has created a negotiating commission and his only
             condition for talks is that the army withdraw from five southern municipalities.

             He did not say whether the group was interested in foreign mediation. The United
             States, Mexico, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Spain and others have offered to help end
             the last major civil conflict in the Americas.

             Tens of thousands of Colombians have been killed in the low-level war, which has
             worsened in the past two years with a series of rebel victories over an ineffective
             and dispirited armed forces.

             The group is holding more than 60 soldiers and police hostage and has not eased
             up attacks. Late Saturday, about 200 guerrillas raided a prison in the southwestern
             city of Popayan, freeing at least 326 inmates including guerrilla leaders in the attack
             on San Isidro prison, authorities said.

             One of the heavily outnumbered guards and two prisoners were killed by gunfire
             and grenade fragments. Two guards and an inmate were wounded. Authorities
             said 47 prisoners were later recaptured with the help of the army.

             The last time peace talks with the group were held in 1992, they broke down over
             continuing guerrilla attacks.