Colombia: Clara and Consuelo are free!

Image- Consuelo Gonzalez is reunited with her daughter and sees her grandaughter for the first time after arriving in Caracas, Venezuela on Thursday. (Photo via BBC News)

Update (9.30pm): Colombian president Alvaro Uribe gave a televised speech where he thanked his Venezuelan counterpart and expressed his joy at the liberation of Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez. Uribe also read the names of the 43 people still held hostage by the FARC guerillas and urged them to negotiate with the Colombian government. He backed the country's "policy of democratic security" for effectively "combating terrorism" and bringing a "peace process to the paramilitaries".

Earlier tonight Uribe talked with Rojas and Gonzalez according to eluniversal.com.

Uribe's speech echoed comments made earlier in the day by Vice President Fransisco Santos. Santos asked for people to "maintain perspective" by remembering those who are still held hostage by the FARC.

According to RCN Radio, "Clara and Consuelo are resting with families and friends in Caracas' Hotel Melia...(according to a correspondent) Clara and her daughter have not stopped hugging each other...after being separated for 6 years."

An article from El Tiempo quoted a Colombian child welfare official who said that Clara can "have her son as soon as she wants."

We'll finish our today's of coverage Rojas and Gonzalez with this article from teleSur.tv. The mother of kidnapped U.S. contractor Marc Gonsalves said that she "cried an ocean because it gave me hope that I will see my son again."

Update (6.00pm): Reunited and it feels so good:


Update (5.15pm): Clara Rojas, Consuelo Gonzalez, some of their family members, and other diplomats were welcomed to the Miraflores Palace by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. The Colombian and Venezuelan national anthems were played as they stood at the steps of the president's residence. Chavez is holding a child in his arms as he's flanked by Rojas and Gonzalez who's holding her own granddaughter.

Venezuela's eluniversal.com reported on the international reactions to today's events. "France is profoundly happy" said the country's president, Nicolas Sarkozy, while Spain's government urged the FARC to free all their hostages. Government representatives in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina expressed their joy while also giving their support to future negotiations.

New Mexico governor and former presidential hopeful Bill Richardson commented on the Colombian hostage situation. In an interview with CNN en Espanol, he called for the liberation of the three U.S. contractors being held by the FARC as well as the other hostages. He said that Rojas and Gonzalez need the chance to recover after being kidnapped and warned that they may have Stockholm Syndrome.

Richardson also noted that he quit from the presidential race due to lack of funds, did not endorse any of the other Democratic candidates, and blasted the Republican candidates for their "destructive" viewpoints on immigration.

Update (4.30pm): At the top of the hour, Rojas and Gonzalez arrived safe and sound at airport outside of Caracas. They were met by several of their family members holding flowers and wearing t-shirts saying "Freedom for all now". Gonzalez held her granddaughter for the first time while Rojas tenderly embraced her elderly mother. It is an emotional scene as smiles and hugs abound.

Noticias Caracol said that Rojas and Gonzalez will be transported to Caracas where they will undergo a medical examination, spend more time with family, and then be received by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez.

El Tiempo reports that Rojas and Gonzalez are in possession of letters from 16 hostages still held by the FARC.

Caracol Radio interviewed Rojas who commented over the birth of her son, Emmanuel, in April 2005 while she was being held captive. She said that the birth was "bad" and an impromptu C-section had to be done. The boy was born with some sort of fracture or injury in his arm according to Rojas. Ingrid Betancourt- a French-Colombian politico kidnapped along with Rojas- helped obtain Emmanuel's first set of baby clothes. Rojas ended up being "injured for 40 days" yet her recuperation was facilitated by a female guerrilla. She was with Emmanuel for 8 months before they were separated. She expressed hope that she will soon be reunited with her son.

Update (3.40pm): TeleSUR news network has shown video of the handover of Rojas and Gonzalez to the international commission. They appeared in high spirits and held a calm demeanor. They spoke briefly to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez via satellite phone and thanked him for his intervention. "I feel like I'm born again" said Rojas to Chavez while Gonzalez urged him to "keep working" to free the other hostages held by the FARC. Later, both thanked the Venezuelan government and people while on the helicopters traveling to Tachira.

Colombia's Noticias Caracol reported that the families of Rojas and Gonzalez are overjoyed now that they're both freed. They also noted the Department of State's response to the news by expressing their relief at the liberation of Rojas and Gonzalez while emphasizing the efforts of the Colombian government.

Speaking of the Colombian government, Vice President Francisco Santos was happy with today's developments yet strongly urged the media and people to "keep things in perspective" by remembering the "people that have spent years kidnapped and held captive" by guerillas.

Original post: After years of being held captive against their will by the FARC guerilla group, Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez were freed a few hours ago. The handover to the commission headed by the Venezuelan government along with International Red Cross (IRC) was done roughly four hours ago in a designated part of the Colombian jungle.

Approximately fifteen minutes ago, the IRC helicopters carrying Rojas and Gonzalez landed safely at an army base in the Venezuelan border state of Táchira. After landing both were whisked away in jets to Caracas where they will be medically examined and then reunited with their respective families.

We will stay exclusively with this story today and we’ll post updates throughout the day.

Sources- El Tiempo, Reuters