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Caribbean-Latin America
Colombian rebels release hostage after 12 years
2010-03-31
FLORENCIA, Colombia — Leftist FARC rebels on Tuesday released one of their longest held captives, a soldier kidnapped 12 years ago, the Red Cross said after receiving the hostage in the Colombian jungle.

It was a "successful operation," a spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross said after sergeant Pablo Emilio Moncayo was turned over by rebels at a jungle clearing and flown by helicopter to his awaiting family in Florencia, in northern Colombia.

Moncayo, 31, was the second soldier the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia promised to release some time ago in negotiations with Senator Piedad Cordoba, who was also present at the release site.

Corporal Daniel Calvo, 22, was released on Sunday after almost one year in captivity.

President Alvaro Uribe welcomed Moncayo's release. "We welcome back sergeant Moncayo. We are so happy for his family. Colombia receives with open arms all those who return from captivity and strongly condemns their kidnappers," Uribe told university students in Cucuta, on the border with Venezuela.

FARC recently ruled out any further hostage releases until the conservative Uribe administration reciprocates by releasing some of the hundreds of FARC rebels in federal prisons. Uribe has steadfastly refused to give in to a prisoner swap with the rebels.

FARC is believed to be holding 21 soldiers and police hostage, apart from a large number of civilian hostages.

Moncayo was kidnapped on December 21, 1997, when he was an 18-year-old corporal in the army. He was promoted to sergeant while in captivity. He was one of the longest held FARC hostages, along with fellow soldier Libio Jose Martinez, who was kidnapped on the same day, one year after he fathered his first child.
Posted by:Steve White

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