FARC hostage release helicopters arrive in Cali

Brazilian helicopters for the FARC hostage release mission, restarted Tuesday, have arrived in Cali, which is the new center of operations, reported El Pais Thursday.

There is currently no news on whether mediator Piedad Cordoba’s is on the flight. She is reported to be in Bogota meeting with members of her group, Colombians for Peace.

The commander of the armed forces, Admiral Edgar Cely, told El Tiempo that if they receive official coordinates for the new release site today, the military will cease all operations within 18 hours.

It is suspected that the new site will be within the vicinity of Miranda in the Cauca department.

The government announced Tuesday morning that it will resume the release operation, with government delegate to the operation Eduardo Pizarro stating that a final date for the mission will only be given once weather conditions permit and accurate coordinates are provided by the rebels.

The release of Salin Sanmiguel and Guillermo Solorzano, the final two hostages scheduled to be freed last week, failed on Sunday as the FARC allegedly provided the wrong coordinates for the release site.

The failure sparked a furious response from the government delegate to the operations, Eduardo Pizarro.

The government then announced on Monday morning that it would cease all release efforts and would not make a decision on restarting them until it had met with the Red Cross.

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