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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| 4 Colombian hostages freed by Farc |
| 2008-02-28 |
| Four hostages held by Colombian left-wing Farc rebels have been released, in a deal brokered by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The hostages arrived in Venezuela after being handed over to a delegation sent by Mr Chavez at an undisclosed location in the Colombian jungle. They then flew on to the capital Caracas to be welcome by relatives. Farc says it will not free more hostages until Colombia creates a demilitarised zone for peace talks. It hopes to swap some 40 remaining high-profile hostages it still holds for rebels in state jails. The hostages, all former members of Congress, are Luis Eladio Perez, Gloria Polanco, Orlando Beltran and Jorge Gechem. The four were handed over to Venezuelan and Colombian politicians and Red Cross personnel, who had arrived in the jungle on two helicopters to collect them. Video footage showed the hostages appearing, raising their hands in the air and embracing officials sent to pick them up. Venezuelan government spokesman Jesse Chacon said Mr Chavez had already spoken by phone to the released hostages. Mr Chacon said he hoped the release "will help us continue advancing on the path to achieving liberations of the remainder and of course to what we all yearn for: peace in Colombia". The helicopters took the hostages back to Venezuela, where they were transferred onto private planes for the flight on to Caracas. Ties between Colombia and Venezuela have been strained in recent months. But last month, Mr Chavez helped broker a deal to free two hostages, Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez, who were picked up by Venezuelan helicopters from Colombian territory and flown on to Caracas to be reunited with their waiting families. The release will raise hopes that more hostages might be freed, among them French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt and three US defence contractors. One of the freed hostages, Luis Eladio Perez, said Ms Betancourt was in "extremely tough straits". French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Wednesday's release was a "powerful encouragement" in the task of freeing the remaining captives. US state department spokesman Tom Casey welcomed the move, but said it was "reprehensible" that the Farc was continuing to hold hostages. Farc rebels are also thought to be holding several hundred other hostages, many of whom were taken for ransom to help fund rebel operations. |
| Posted by:lotp |
| #1 Gee. It's almost like Hugo has a "relationship" with FARC.... |
| Posted by: Frank G 2008-02-28 19:07 |