HomeNewsBriefFARC Release Hostages, Though Hundreds of Civilians Remain Kidnapped
BRIEF

FARC Release Hostages, Though Hundreds of Civilians Remain Kidnapped

COLOMBIA / 3 APR 2012 BY GEOFFREY RAMSEY EN

Colombia's largest rebel army has freed the last of the police and soldiers it has been holding hostage, sparking talk of peace talks while also shifting focus to its remaining kidnapping victims.

On April 2 the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released the last of their security force hostages, a group of ten who have been held for more than 12 years. Although initially it was believed that only five would be released yesterday as part of a two-day process, all ten were handed over in the joint operation orchestrated by the Colombian and Brazilian governments, the Red Cross, and activist group Colombians for Peace

The men were picked up in a Brazilian military helicopter, and taken from the jungle to the city of Villavicencio, where they were reunited with relatives and appeared before television cameras waving Colombian flags and punching the air. Afterwards they were flown to Bogota, where President Juan Manuel Santos gave a speech welcoming their return.

InSight Crime Analysis

While the release has been widely seen as a sign that negotiations between the government and the guerrilla group are not far off, Santos tempered these hopes somewhat by declaring that the incident was “not enough” to start direct peace talks, according to El Tiempo. Santos then called on the rebels to also free the hundreds of civilian hostages they possess, saying “You must release the kidnapped civilians still held, and must account to the families of each and every one of them.” According to the Fundacion Pais Libre, a Colombian NGO, there are some 405 civilians still being held by the FARC, most of whom have been kidnapped with the intention of extorting their families for their return.

There is much speculation over where those hoping for peace negotiations should go from here. La Silla Vacia claims that the FARC will now expect the government to show some good will towards the group’s imprisoned members, allowing a peace group to visit them and monitor their conditions. Former Justice Minister Jaime Castro told El Tiempo that the government will want to negotiate privately and outside the country with the rebels, likely without declaring a ceasefire.

Unless the FARC offer a major gesture of goodwill (like freeing its civilian hostages) it is highly improbable that talks will occur before 2014, when President Santos is expected to run for re-election. During a second term, Santos does not have to worry about the possible political repercussions of botched negotiations, which could affect a presidential run. This could potentially grant him much more elbow room to open discussions with the FARC.

A version of this article appeared on the Pan-American Post.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

COLOMBIA / 20 JUL 2021

A synthetic drug popular in Colombia's party scene was recently found to be laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl,…

COLOMBIA / 9 MAY 2022

A recent wave of murders in the Ecuadorian province of Esmeraldas provides clues to the role of dissident factions of…

COLOMBIA / 26 OCT 2021

Two top police commanders in Colombia and Mexico have recently admitted to filtering sensitive information to drug traffickers while working…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Continues to be Highlighted

3 MAR 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-director Jeremy McDermott was the featured guest on the Americas Quarterly podcast, where he provided an expert overview of the changing dynamics…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela's Organized Crime Top 10 Attracts Attention

24 FEB 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published its ranking of Venezuela’s ten organized crime groups to accompany the launch of the Venezuela Organized Crime Observatory. Read…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime on El País Podcast

10 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime co-founder, Jeremy McDermott, was among experts featured in an El País podcast on the progress of Colombia’s nascent peace process.

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime Interviewed by Associated Press

3 FEB 2023

This week, InSight Crime’s Co-director Jeremy McDermott was interviewed by the Associated Press on developments in Haiti as the country continues its prolonged collapse. McDermott’s words were republished around the world,…

THE ORGANIZATION

Escaping Barrio 18

27 JAN 2023

Last week, InSight Crime published an investigation charting the story of Desafío, a 28-year-old Barrio 18 gang member who is desperate to escape gang life. But there’s one problem: he’s…