CARACAS , Venezuela ( CNN ) -- Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez called Friday for Europe to remove from its list of terrorist organizations two Colombian groups -- including FARC , the group that freed two hostages Thursday in a mission Chavez organized . During his televised State of the Union speech , Chavez -- an outspoken enemy of the Bush administration -- insisted Europe includes the two groups on its terror list only because of `` pressure '' from the United States , which also names them on its list of foreign terrorist organizations . `` I request from the governments of the continent that they will remove the FARC and the ELN , '' Chavez said . FARC , the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia , has been blamed for numerous attacks and holds about 750 hostages , according to Colombian government estimates . ELN , the National Liberation Army , the second-largest rebel group in Colombia , also is blamed for killings , kidnappings , and other attacks . This week the Colombian government announced the capture of Carlos Marin Guarin , known by the alias `` Pablito , '' alleged to have commanded roughly half the ELN force . Both FARC and ELN are on the European Union 's list of groups and individuals believed linked to terrorism . `` I will ask Europe to remove the ELN and the FARC from the list of terrorist groups in the world , because that only has one source : the pressure of the United States , '' Chavez said . He argued , `` I say this even though somebody might be bothered by it : the FARC and the ELN are not terrorist groups . They are armies , real armies ... that occupy a space in Colombia . '' He added that the two groups ' `` insurgent forces '' have a goal , `` a project , '' that is `` Bolivarian '' and that `` we respect . '' Chavez said his nation is committed to bringing about peace in Colombia , a task that means `` we must continue to work at the various levels '' with FARC and ELN . `` No one should be bothered by it . It is absolutely essential to do so . Who can think of the possibility of a peace accord when there is no contact with the parties involved , '' he asked . E-mail to a friend .
NEW : Chavez urges EU to remove FARC and ELN from list of terror groups . FARC has been blamed for numerous attacks and may hold about 750 hostages . Venezuela 's president arranged release of mother , another hostage Thursday .