Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

July 24, 2008 11:16:22 PM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

FARC Rebels Free 4 Hostages

Posted Feb 27, 08 2:56 PM CST in World 

(Newser) – Colombian FARC rebels today set free four former Colombian legislators who had been held hostage for more than six years. The deal was brokered by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez, and three of the four will fly to Caracas to speak with him. The fourth is in poor health and may require immediate medical treatment, reports CNN.

A spokesman for the Red Cross in Columbia calls the deal to free the four politicians "an excellent collaboration." The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, is holding an estimated 750 hostages in the country's jungle. Other prisoners include a former candidate for president of Colombia and three US citizens.

Source CNN

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • 1M-Plus March for Colombian Hostages

    Jul 20, 08 6:50 PM CDT
    1M-Plus March for Colombian Hostages More than a million people marched in Bogota, Columbia and other world capitals today demanding the freedom of captives held hostage by leftist rebels in the Columbian jungle, AFP reports. Recently liberated captive Ingrid Betancourt led chants of "No More hostages" in Paris on Columbia's independence day, as famous musicians from across the globe staged a concert there. More »

  • Freed US Hostages Bare Brutal Life With 'Animals'

    Jul 11, 08 3:48 AM CDT
    Freed US Hostages Bare Brutal Life With 'Animals' Three freed American hostages who spent more than five years as captives of Colombian guerrillas paint a harrowing picture of their treatment in a CNN interview. Keith Stansell, Marc Gonsalves and Thomas Howes, rescued last week, spent much of their time in captivity chained by the neck, and were subjected to forced marches, harsh conditions and constant threats, they report. More »

  • Betancourt Bares 'Soul Hell' of Captivity

    Jul 10, 08 6:09 AM CDT
    Betancourt Bares 'Soul Hell' of Captivity Freed hostage Ingrid Betancourt lived in "soul hell" for years in captivity under a constant threat of death, she said in a riveting interview on CNN's Larry King Live. "I lived for nearly seven years with the awareness that death was my everyday companion," she said. "It was hell. It was hell for the body, it was hell for the soul, it was hell for the mind." More »

  • Our Marriage May Be Over: Betancourt Hubby

    Jul 9, 08 2:03 PM CDT
    Our Marriage May Be Over: Betancourt Hubby The husband of rescued Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt says their marriage may be over. In an interview with the Bogota newspaper El Tiempo, Juan Carlos Lecompte acknowledges what many noted when the two reunited in front of TV cameras after last week's rescue—Betancourt greeted him coldly. More »

  • Hostages Captivate Hollywood

    Jul 8, 08 6:42 PM CDT
    Hostages Captivate Hollywood Film projects revolving around last week’s rescue of 15 FARC prisoners are already taking shape, Variety reports. Rumors abound about rights deals and production agreements. Although not everyone is convinced that the bloodless rescue is dramatic enough material for a box office blockbuster, "it's as memorable as Entebbe, the Hindenburg disaster, or other huge events that stay with us," one producer says. More »

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks during a meeting with his ministers at Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Thursday, Feb. 21, 2008. ...   (Associated Press)
In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, a Venezuelan helicopter takes off en route to Colombia to pick up four rebel-held hostages in Santo Domingo, Venezuela, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008. (AP...   (Associated Press)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

Colombia  • hostage  • Venezuela  • Hugo Chavez  • FARC  • Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia


Loading...

Loading...

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »