Colombia’s largest rebel group- known by the acronym FARC- will allegedly free three hostages later this month. According to a report from Cuban-based agency Prensa Latina, the kidnap victims are to be released to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez; Chavez had briefly served as official mediator between the FARC and Colombian government until last month.
The three hostages to be freed according to the statement are local politician Consuelo Gonzalez, Clara Rojas (an aide to Ingrid Betancourt), and her son Emmanuel who was born out of a relationship between Rojas (image) and one of her kidnappers.
The communiqué from the FARC also blasted the Colombian government for their “diplomatic barbarism” in removing Chavez as liaison and praised French premier Nicolas Sarkozy.
Some family members of hostages have expressed relief at the FARC’s gesture:
“Not only my family but all of Colombia deserves this happiness,'' Ivan Rojas, Clara's brother, told Bogota-based W Radio. ``We had lost hope''…
“We've always said that Chavez was the perfect person for this, because they listen to him, they respect him,'' said Juan Carlos Lecompte, Ingrid Betancourt's husband, in comments broadcast by Colombia's RCN television.
Image- RCN
Sources (English)- Bloomberg, Xinhua, The Latin Americanist
Sources (Spanish)- El Tiempo, Prensa Latina,
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