Successor Will Press Talks With Two Guerrilla Groups

                  By Steven Dudley
                  Special to The Washington Post
 
                  BOGOTA, Colombia, April 26—The government peace commissioner,
                  who pioneered talks with Colombia's main Marxist rebel group, stepped
                  down today just as President Andres Pastrana has launched a new set of
                  parallel negotiations with the second-largest guerrilla group.

                  The commissioner, Victor G. Ricardo, was Pastrana's point man in
                  attempts to settle Colombia's long-running civil war, and his unexpected
                  departure seemed bound to leave at least a temporary gap in the team
                  Pastrana put together to seek to negotiate an end to three decades of
                  fighting. No official explanation was given for his resignation.

                  Ricardo has been criticized by politicians, businessmen and journalists and
                  has received death threats from right-wing paramilitary groups because of
                  the strong relationship he has built with the leadership of the leftist
                  guerrillas. Some reports said he may be heading for a diplomatic post
                  abroad.

                  "No one, not even the most critical person, can fail to recognize your
                  patriotic commitment," Pastrana said at a news conference bidding Ricardo
                  farewell.

                  Pastrana said one of his top aides, Camilo Gomez, a member of the
                  government's negotiating team, will assume Ricardo's post in coming days.

                  Ricardo had led government efforts to establish a 12-point peace agenda
                  with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the larger of
                  two major guerrilla forces here, since Pastrana took office in 1998. In
                  departing, he said he had fulfilled his mission "by reestablishing trust
                  between the sides."

                  The process has been under fire, however, since the government ceded a
                  16,000-square-mile area to the rebel group in late 1998 to help further the
                  talks. Critics say the FARC--which has 15,000 to 20,000 armed
                  members--is using the zone to launch offensives, stockpile weapons and
                  broaden its influence in drug trafficking as a means of financing the war.

                  Gomez will face the daunting task of juggling two peace tracks at once. On
                  Monday, the government said it will pull hundreds of troops out of an
                  1,800-square-mile area in the central part of the country to facilitate talks
                  with the second rebel group--the 5,000-member National Liberation Army
                  (ELN)--while at the same time continuing talks with the FARC.

                  Right-wing paramilitary units, formed by local landlords and businessmen
                  to defend against the rebel group, have been battling the ELN for control
                  of the region. Their leaders said they will not accept the government's
                  decision and may resist it. Civilians, fearing guerrilla reprisals for suspected
                  collaboration with the right-wing groups, also said they would protest.

                  At his first news conference, Gomez faced tough questions about the
                  FARC's announcement Tuesday night that it will collect a "peace tax" from
                  Colombians with assets of $1 million or more. Those who fail to pay, the
                  guerrillas warned, will be subject to abduction. The FARC did not specify
                  whether the tax would be levied only in its zone of control.

                  "This isn't about accepting or not accepting a tax," Gomez said. "This is
                  simply not acceptable under any circumstances."

                  The FARC said the tax is its response to Pastrana's Plan Colombia, a $7.5
                  billion strategy to fight drug trafficking and shore up the country's economy.
                  The U.S. Senate is debating whether to provide a $1.6 billion emergency
                  aid package to help finance the plan and strengthen the Colombian military
                  with helicopters, training and intelligence data.

                  The government said Ricardo's departure was unrelated to the FARC's tax
                  announcement, and Pastrana said he learned of Ricardo's plans in a March
                  14 letter, more than a month before the tax issue arose.

                  A lawyer by trade, Gomez was an aide to Pastrana while he was mayor of
                  Bogota in the late 1980s. He also headed the government office that
                  oversees the incorporation of companies. Some analysts said it was a
                  logical time for the change considering the government is about to begin the
                  parallel peace process with the ELN. Although Gomez has little experience
                  in such a sensitive government position, political scientist Rodrigo Lozada
                  said the transition will be smooth because all sides involved know each
                  another.

                  "I don't see this as a major problem," Lozada said. Gomez "is up to date
                  with the process and has the complete confidence of Pastrana; that is
                  exactly what the FARC would want."