Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and eleven Colombian soldiers that were kept hostage by the FARC were liberated Wednesday by the Colombian armed forces.
The French-Colombian hostage, the three Americans and eleven members of Colombia’s security forces were rescued during military operation “Jaque” in the jungle of the Guaviare department, approximately 350 mile (560 km) south east of Bogotá, Colombian Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said during a press conference.
According to Santos, intelligence forces were able to infiltrate both the FARC secretariat and the FARC’s first front, responsible for the care of the high profile hostages. The first front, under the command of ‘mono Jojoy’, was ordered to hand over the hostages to ‘Alfonso Cano’, the number one of the FARC secretariat.
The helicopter supposedly transferring the hostages to ‘Cano’ was under control of military intelligence personnel, flying the hostages to freedom, Santos said.
According to the Defense Minister, the armed forced arrested two guerrillas in the operation, one of them being ‘César’, the right hand of FARC-veteran and member of the secretariat, ‘Mono Jojoy’. According to Betancourt, “no shot was fired”.
Betancourt was held hostage by Colombia’s leftist rebels for over six years. Keith Stansel, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes, three U.S. military contract workers, were held captive since March 2003.
- Ingrid Betancourt reunited with her mother
- Betancourt: release was “grand”, “impeccable”
- Rescued U.S. hostages on their way home
- Joyful reactions to the rescue of the Colombian hostages
13 responses so far ↓
1 chavito // Jul 2, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Infiltrated in the guerrilla? For how long?
2 Simone // Jul 2, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Congratulations! We share the happiness on this fantastic news about the release of the hostages! Regards from The Netherlands!
3 Maria Colon // Jul 2, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Despues de tantas oraciones me siento super contenta con esta noticia. Espero que todos puedan estar con sus respectivas familias pronto.
Amen ……………
4 pazzy // Jul 2, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Congratulations, to all the families of the liberated hostages
5 tatiana // Jul 2, 2008 at 4:38 pm
i am so happy too! ha ha a smack in the face to all those who kept her hostage and tried to break a poor woman’s spirit
6 tatiana // Jul 2, 2008 at 4:39 pm
i am so happy too! ha ha a smack in the face to all those who kept her hostage and tried to break that woman’s spirit
7 Martin // Jul 2, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Very well done. Many thanks to our Columbian friends from many of us in the United States. Thank you!
8 Martin // Jul 2, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Sorry, I did not spell Colombia correctly in my previous post. Thank you though.
9 Monito // Jul 2, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Awesome news. I fancy a party
10 eduardo martinez // Jul 2, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Hugo Chavez, tienes algo que decir ahora??????
Como fracasan tus planes no???
11 tequendamia // Jul 2, 2008 at 7:30 pm
INGRID for PRESIDENT!!!!!
Down with Uribe!!
INGRID for PRESIDENT!!!!!
12 quetedenhugo // Jul 3, 2008 at 3:42 am
je je je Hugo a ver ahora que haces! te han jodido la movida. Que verguenza tener una persona asi como presidente de un pais, si yo fuera Venezolano me cambiaria la nacionalidad. Me alegro muchisimo por Ingrid. Mucha suerte
13 jane mayfield // Jul 4, 2008 at 5:53 pm
… Hollywood action flic perfect rescue of Ms. Betancourt and the others, including three US military contractors … not too much said about the wonderful coincidence of US presidential candidate John McCain in Columbia on that day. … Mission accomplished. Well done!
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