Colombia's FARC rebels release captive held 12 years

[maddezmom]

Source: LATimes

By Chris Kraul

March 31, 2010

Reporting from Bogota, Colombia - Leftist rebels on Tuesday freed one of Colombia's longest-held hostages, an army corporal seized by insurgents when they overran his base in December 1997.

The release of Pablo Emilio Moncayo, 31, came two days after rebels freed Pvt. Josue Daniel Calvo in Meta state. Calvo, who had been held for 11 months, is being treated in a Bogota military hospital for leg wounds he suffered in a battle at the time of his capture.

The liberation of the pair has raised hope for a comprehensive hostage-prisoner swap between the leftists and the government of President Alvaro Uribe, who is to leave office in August. An exchange has been stalled by the rebels' demand that they take control of two townships and Uribe's that freed guerrillas swear to not return to their ranks.

Moncayo's 12 years of captivity ended when members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, handed him over in Caqueta state to a group that included officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross and leftist Colombian Sen. Piedad Cordoba.



Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-colombia-hostage31-2010mar31,0,1578679.story