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

Colombia: Hostage flees with rebel captor

Colombian hostage Oscar Tulio Lizcano (image) was found by an army battalion on Sunday after he and one of his rebel captors wandered through the jungle for three days. Both grew weary of the harsh conditions they had to put up with, especially the infirm Lizcano. "I put sticks in the ground... and gave them names and taught them classes, two or three hours a day in classes, imagining I was in a classroom", said Lizcano who had been held hostage for over eight years.

The guerilla who accompanied Lizcano on his trek to freedom- alias "Isaza"- has been offered asylum in France and possible immunity for his crimes. "Isaza" spoke at a press conference earlier today:

On Saturday we walked together yet I had to carry him because his feet were too swollen and he could barely walk…We were tired and hungry during those three days. But we had to move forward because when you desert the FARC there are only two options: flee or die. – [ed. Personal translation]

Meanwhile, a FARC communiqué written on October 16th and published today proposed a humanitarian exchange via the multilateral efforts of Latin American presidents.

Image- Times Online
Sources (English)- Reuters Africa, BBC News, AP
Sources (Spanish)- El Tiempo, El Espectador

Raid botched Betancourt’s release, says hubby

The husband of Ingrid Betancourt claimed that the recent raid by the Colombian military into Ecuador hampered any chances for her safe liberation from guerilla captors. The March 1^st military attack which killed FARC commander Raul Reyes was a mistake since he was one of the main contacts for past and future hostage releases, according to comments made on Monday from Juan Carlos Lecompte:

"If they hadn't killed him, she could have been freed," Juan Carlos Lecompte told reporters in Santiago, a day before meeting with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
"Because on March 14 or 15, they would have freed 12 more hostages and my wife would have been among them," he added, without giving a source for the information.
Days after the attack, Ecuador's President Rafael Correa said his government had been close to securing a deal with FARC to free 12 hostages, including Betancourt who has been in captivity for six years.

Lecompte was able to meet with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday; she vowed to “act in an immediate, efficient manner” for Betancourt’s liberation.

Betancourt has spent over six years in captivity in the Colombian jungle allegedly in terrible health.

Sources- Xinhua, The Latin Americanist, Reuters, People’s Daily Online

Image-BBC News (“Ingrid Betancourt before her kidnap (left) and several years later (right)”.)

Daily Headlines: April 23, 2007

* The International Monetary Fund estimates that Caribbean economies will face net losses from the Cricket World Cup.

* Is Reuters’ reporting on Haitian violence biased? Bay Area Indymedia thinks so.

* On the tenth anniversary of the end of a rebel takeover of Peru’s Japanese embassy, Peruvian vice president Luis Giampietri remembers his five months as a hostage.

* Six of Argentina’s biggest unions each received a generous 16.5% wage increase from the country’s government.

* Follow-up: Organizers of an illegal immigrant “game” that was to take place at the University of Iowa (original link here from this post) decided to cancel the event and host a lecture instead.

Links- Bloomberg, Bay Area Indymedia, The Financial Express, Hispanic Tips, The Latin Americanist, Des Moines Register, Wikipedia, Los Angeles Times

Image- CBC (West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara bids adieu to the crowd lunging after playing in his final game)