Colombia’s largest rebel group FARC Thursday surrendered their sixth
hostage to a humanitarian commission this week. Valle deputy Sigifredo
López was handed over after being held hostage for more than 6 years.
The release of López is the last of six this week. The FARC decided in December to release four members of the security forces and two politicians as a sign of good will to ‘Colombians for Peace’, a group of 150 intellectuals that seek a political solution to the country’s violent conflict.
The former deputy of Valle de Cauca was taken hostage in 2002 together
with 11 of his colleagues when FARC guerrillas stormed the Department
Assembly in Cali and kidnapped the twelve
lawmakers. López is the only remaining deputy that was taken hostage.
According the FARC, the other eleven were killed in cross fire with the
army, but the Government accuses the rebels of having executed the
others.
López was the last civilian of a group of hostages the FARC want to exchange for 500 guerrillas who currently are held in Colombian and U.S. jails. The guerrillas are suspected of holding hostage some hundreds civilians more for extortion purposes.
López is expected to arrive around 2PM in Cali where he will be re-united with his family.