Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Another hostage freed by Colombian rebels

Ex-governor Alan Jara was freed this afternoon after being held nearly eight years hostage by Colombia’s FARC guerillas. Jara rejoiced his liberation after being transported by a Brazilian military helicopter along with Senator Piedad Cordoba and a trio of Red Cross representatives. “I’m free!” declared Jara after he reunited with his wife and now-teenage son at the Villavicencio airport.

In a press conference shortly after he was freed, Jara thanked all those who helped in his liberation and also declared his support for the hundreds still held hostage. “You cannot change the country through kidnapping” said Jara in criticism of the FARC though he also emphasized that negotiations “are the only solution” to Colombia’s armed conflict.

Jara was the fifth hostage released this week by the FARC and appeared to be absent of the controversy surrounding the liberation of three policemen and a soldier on Sunday. Former lawmaker Sigifredo Lopez is expected to be freed this Thursday.

Could these series of liberations signal a change in the FARC’s strategy? According to csmonitor.com:
Camilo González, an analyst with the Indepaz peace studies group, said the rebels' decision to do this is part of a FARC effort to regain political relevance. "It is the
FARC's way of trying to recover some political initiative after a disastrous year," he said…

"They may have finally realized that it is politically counterproductive to hold civilians," (political analyst Gérson) Arias says...

But Mr. González argues that the concept of swapping civilian hostages for jailed rebels – which had been central to the FARC's strategy and negotiations for years – has lost relevance.
Image- El Espectador
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, El Tiempo, RCN, AP, csmonitor.com, AFP

2 comments:

Defensores de Democracia said...

Dear Latin Americanist :

I have to report several more murders against Hispanics in 2009, in this case Cape Verdeans that speak Portuguese, so we can call them Iberians, and the language that they speak comes from Latin, almost the same as Spanish, so we can call them Latinos or Hispanics from Hispania ( Roman Province ).

Cape Verdean community mourns several People killed by Racial Hatred. Brutal Racial Murders in Brockton, Massachusetts.

Loving Father, Husband and Friend. See the Victim's Photos. "Always a Happy Man, 72 years, Always a Lover of Music".

A Racial Murder Spree - Murderer also killed a Creole Woman. Determined to kill as many non Whites as Possible.

More than 50 mourners were at St. Edith Stein Church in Brockton this morning for the funeral Mass for Arlindo Goncalves, a 72-year-old cit...

Cape Verdean Musician Killed, 72 years old - Loved to Play Trumpet and Piano Keyboard on the Street - Brockton Massachusetts - Two Racial Murders

There are more Creole People killed in Brockton, Massachusetts in 2008. And it seems that other Black People were shot in 2008. But this needs more research.

So New York City, North Plainfied New Jersey, and New Brockton are in Competition of Racial Murder. Every City shows at least 3 Racial Murders in recent months.

And do not forget our friend Wilter Sanchez, almost killed 15 days ago in Plainfield. ( with baseball bats and a car attempted to run over him ).

Raciality.com

Vicente Duque

Erwin C. said...

Vicente -

Don't forget that you can e-mail us at ourlatinamerica@yahoo.com