. ▁According ▁to ▁B lass el , ▁the ▁two ▁reb els ▁could ▁be ▁given ▁new ▁ident ities ▁by ▁Spain , ▁France , ▁and ▁Switzerland . ▁ ▁Minister ▁of ▁Def ense ▁Juan ▁Manuel ▁Santos , ▁and ▁Vice ▁President ▁Francisco ▁Santos , ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁these ▁claims , ▁denied ▁any ▁payment . ▁" That ▁information ▁is ▁absolutely ▁false . ▁It ▁has ▁no ▁basis . ▁We ▁don ' t ▁know ▁where ▁it ▁comes ▁from ▁and ▁why ▁its ▁being ▁said ". ▁The ▁minister ▁of ▁defense ▁also ▁added ▁with ▁a ▁touch ▁of ▁ir ony ▁that ▁" Act ually , ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁cheap ▁offer , ▁because ▁we ▁were ▁willing ▁to ▁give ▁up ▁to ▁US D ▁ 1 0 0 ▁million ..." ▁" We ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁inform ▁public ly , ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁part ▁of ▁our ▁re wards ▁system ▁policy , ▁and ▁besides , ▁it ▁would ▁speak ▁much ▁worse ▁about ▁the ▁F AR C ". ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Colombia ' s ▁El ▁T iem po ▁and ▁W ▁Radio , ▁General ▁Fred dy ▁Pad illa ▁de ▁León , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁armed ▁forces , ▁denied ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁any ▁payment ▁by ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁government . ▁General ▁Pad illa ▁argued ▁that ▁if ▁any ▁payment ▁had ▁been ▁made , ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁better ▁to ▁make ▁it ▁public ly ▁known , ▁to ▁use ▁it ▁as ▁an ▁in cent ive ▁and ▁to ▁cause ▁confusion ▁within ▁F AR C ' s ▁ranks . ▁William ▁Brown field , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁amb assador ▁to ▁Colombia