THE chief Peruvian government negotiator in the 24-day hostage crisis and the leader of the left wing rebels holding 74 people had a brief but cordial radio conversation yesterday, the second known talks between the two sides.
President Alberto Fujimori said little else about the conversation between Mr Nestor Cerpa Cartolini, the head of the TupacAmaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) rebels inside the Japanese embassy residence, and Mr Domingo Palermo, who is also Education Minister.
"He had a brief conversation with Cerpa. I can say that it was cordial, brief, maybe three to five minutes," Mr Fujimori said in a radio interview broadcast here. "There is the possibility of a face to face meeting."
Palermo has met face to face with the rebels only once, on December 28th. The government has not acknowledged any other contacts between the negotiator and the guerrilla group holding the residence since December 17th.
But the government is in daily radio contact with the rebels, an official acknowledged for the first time yesterday. The authorities declined to give any details of those radio contacts.
The scene around the residence has been calm during the day, but shots have been fired in the predawn hours twice in the past week, including early yesterday.
"The four shots fired this morning fortunately did not hit anyone, and the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement said they were a warning," said a Red Cross spokesman.
Discussion between the two sides may focus on countries willing to take the 15 strong commando unit, whose size had previously been estimated at 20.
Peru's presidential chief of staff, Mr Alberto Pandolfi, said on Thursday that Peru was looking for a country willing to offer the rebels exile. "This could be a solution if and when all the hostages are released," he said, in the first press conference by a senior Peruvian official since the crisis began.
Havana has been repeatedly, mentioned as a possible destination" for the rebels, but Cuba would deem official formal asylum requests from both Japan and Cuba essential in order to avoid being criticised as a country which supports terrorism.