Colombia’s defense minister calls on the FARC to make sure that the release of six hostages the guerrilla group promised to surrender takes place as soon as possible.
In a brief statement, Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon said “we hope that this release will happen and will happen as soon as possible.”
According to the minister, the government “is willing to do whatever necessary for the releases.”
Pinzon called on the FARC to “not play with the dignity of these people and their families, stalling a release.”
“These people have been held hostage for more than 12 years and now is the time that the FARC hears the cry of the Colombian people that demands not only the release of the mentioned persons, the members of our security forces, but that the Colombian people demand the release of all hostages, without exception, today,” said the Minister.
The FARC announced the release in a letter to former Senator Piedad Cordoba who in the past mediated and coordinated the release of hostages. In the letter. the guerrilla group only announced the names of three of the hostages they promise to release.
Colombia’s largest guerrilla group holds 11 members of Colombia’s security forces captive in the jungle and holds an unknown number of kidnapped civilians hostage for extortion purposes.