Video reveals further misuse of Red Cross logo

Last night, Colombian television network RCN revealed a video showing the preparations made for a liberation mission conducted one month ago. The sixty-minute video (including the brief clip shown below) shows the details, planning, and practice missions as a prelude to the operations that led to the rescue of fifteen hostages.

One of the video’s most controversial portions was the purposeful misuse of several international entities including the Telesur network and the International Red Cross (IRC). An earlier video of the mission showed a rescue member wearing a shirt with the IRC symbol was met with regret by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. With the revelations of the new video, Uribe and Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos were forced to backtrack and claimed ignorance:

“We very much regret that this had happened,” said Santos during a press conference…

“That was the truth that we were told when the president and me informed the public of what occurred. The reality was different with yesterday’s video in that the (IRC) logo was used from the beginning.” [Ed. personal translation]

The misuse of the IRC symbols is against international law and may endanger future IRC operations according to officials with the entity.

Uribe and Santos also went on the offensive with Uribe calling the leak “treasonous” and Santos claiming that whoever in the military “clandestinely” leaked the video to RCN would be “severely sanctioned”.

According to political experts, Santos- who was one of the main faces of the government during the operation- has endangered his possible campaign for the presidency with the revelations in the video.

Sources (English)- Prensa Latina, The Latin Americanist, earthtimes.org

Sources (Spanish)- Caracol, RCN, El Tiempo