Colombia’s FARC guerillas released videos of ten soldiers and police officers who have been held captive for over a decade. The arresting footage (which you can view here) showed the hostages looking tired with shackles and chained around their necks. They delivered brief messages pertaining to their health, and called for their prompt liberation. One of the kidnapped policemen gave his thanks to his loved ones, the local media, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for his earlier work in securing hostage releases.
Previous video was publicized via Sen., Piedad Cordoba who has served as the liaison between the guerillas and the government. The latest video, however, was uncovered when an accused FARC courier was nabbed by police over the weekend.
The news was met with relief by families of the kidnapping victims including some who participated in a small march in Bogota calling for a “humanitarian accord” to be reached. Over the weekend, one of the most vocal activists ended his latest personal trek for the hostages’ freedom:
The father of army Cpl. Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who has been held hostage by Colombia’s FARC guerrilla group for almost 12 years, arrived in Bogota after a foot journey of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles), during which he symbolically crucified himself on the cross of bamboo which he carried during his long march…Image- Al Jazeera English
“Let the kidnapped people regain their freedom, (let) we Colombians be able to live in a different way and let there be no more anxiety of kidnapping,” (Gustavo) Moncayo said.
Online Sources- Reuters, BBC News, The Latin Americanist, LAHT, YouTube, AP
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