The remains of deceased FARC hostage Juilan Ernesto Guevara will be delivered to his mother, the International Committe of the Red Cross (ICRC) confirmed Wednesday.
“We hope that [receiving the remains} tomorrow will bring peace and tranquility to Mrs Guevara,” ICRC spokesman Adolfo Beteta told El Espectador.
The sergeant’s mother, Emperatriz de Guevara, will later decide what should be done with the remains.
The Colombian army and police force will suspend operations from 6pm Wednesday as per operational protocol, so that the humanitarian team comprising of Monsenor Leonardo Gomez, Senator Piedad Cordoba and ICRC representatives may enter FARC territory to receive the remains from the FARC on Thursday.
The operation to pick up Guevara’s remains follows the successful liberation of FARC hostages Josue Daniel Calvo and Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who were freed Sunday and Tuesday respectively.
Confusion surrounded the handover of Guevara’s remains. Last Friday the FARC released a statement saying that Guevara’s remains would not be handed over, as they were located in an area that is occupied by the Colombian national army.
However Tuesday the guerrilla organization indicated the coordinates where Guevara’s remains are located, signalling that the hand over will go ahead.
Pearl said that the remains, once received, will be submitted to DNA analysis to ensure that they are in fact Guevara’s.
The Colombian policeman died in FARC captivity in 2006.