AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE
Friday, 3 September 1999

Reliant bides its time over Colombian plant occupation

WASHINGTON -- The US power company, Reliant Energy, said Friday it was taking a wait-and-see approach to the occupation of its Colombian plant by leftist rebels.

"We are pleased that so far it's been peaceful ... we are just taking a wait and see attitude to see how we can resolve the situation," said Sandy Fruhman, a spokesman for the Houston, Texas-based company.

Some 100 rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) occupied the Anchicaya hydroelectric dam Tuesday on the first day of a nationwide strike.

The guerrillas continue to hold the plant 335 kilometers (210 miles) from Bogota, and are calling on the power company to carry out development programs in the impoverished area and cut electricity fees by 20 percent.

The plant has continued to operate during the rebels' occupation. The military says it has held back from attacking out of fear of harming the 100 civilian workers the rebels are holding hostage.

On Friday, 23 of the employees were released, according to a human rights official in Colombia.

It's an "issue that is being handled by the operation staff at that utility," said Fruhman, adding "we are pleased that so far it has been peaceful."

Reliant and the Venezuelan power company, Electricidad de Caracas, are joint shareholders in Epsa, the plant's operating company.