The Venezuelan government issued a statement on Saturday, expressing concerns that Reyes' death could undermine efforts to broker a prisoner swap.

"The death of Raul Reyes, the FARC's No. 2 commander, is a hard blow to the humanitarian agreement process, and reveals once again the stubborn behavior of those who prefer the military option and bet on the escalation of the armed conflict," said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro, reading the statement.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, reacting to Reyes' death, urged all sides to take into account the "humanitarian considerations" and keep the "positive dynamic" that had been achieved by the recent hostage releases.

He also repeated his call for the release of Betancourt, who, as released Colombians said, has a liver problem and is under delicate health conditions.

(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2008)