A humanitarian mission is underway to pick up four of six hostages, the
FARC unilaterally promised to release today, Monday and Wednesday. The mission
released the names of the members of the security forces that will be
freed today.
The mission today will pick up Juan Fernando Galicia Uribe, Walter José Lozano Guarnizo, Alexis Torres and Giovanny Dominguez, all taken hostage by the leftist rebels in 2007.
The mission, traveling in two Brazilian helicopters and accompanied by members of the Red Cross and two journalists, are in the south west of Colombia to pick up the three policemen and one soldier.
The Colombian army suspended all military actions in the region, guaranteeing the safety of the humanitarian mission and the hostages. After the release operation military operations will be resumed.
Monday and Wednesday the FARC will release politicians Alan Jara and Sigifredo Lopez.
All six hostages are part of a group of 24 high profile hostages the Marxist rebels included in the group they want exchanged for 500 guerrillas currently held in Colombian and U.S. prisons. The FARC says to release the hostages as a sign of good will to the group ‘Colombians for Peace’ who are corresponding with the rebels to seek a political solution to the country’s violent conflict.