Four members of the FARC
guerrilla unit that held former Congressman Oscar Tulio Lizcano hostage
for nearly eight years have deserted, a military spokesman said.
The four Aurelio Rodriguez Front fighters surrendered over the weekend
in San Jose del Palmar, a town in Colombia’s western Choco province,
army 14th Mobile Brigade commander Col. Rafael Caicedo said.
Among those who surrendered was the FARC member known as “Karla,” who guarded Lizcano for some time.
Lizcano,
who was kidnapped in Caldas province on Aug. 5, 2000, escaped on Oct.
26 with the help of guerrilla Wilson Bueno Largo, known as “Isaza.”
The
rebel’s actions prompted President Alvaro Uribe to announce that Isaza
would be allowed to live free abroad under the terms of an offer Bogota
made to FARC deserters.
The Colombian government gave Isaza a reward of 1 billion pesos (some $462,290) and helped him secure asylum in France.
Isaza
and his girlfriend, Lilia Isabel Bañol, who also deserted from the
FARC, traveled on Dec. 9 from Bogota to Paris with former presidential
candidate and hostage Ingrid Betancourt. (Latin American Herald Tribune)