FARC Tortures, Kills 17 Native Colombians

Kidnap victim Cuellar found with throat cut

(NEWSER) - A Colombian provincial governor snatched from his home Monday has been found dumped dead on a country road. Police believe leftist guerrillas cut Luis Francisco Cuellar's throat as they fled from security forces. Rebels dressed in military uniforms killed one policeman and wounded two others when they seized Cuellar from his home in Florencia, the BBC reports. More»

...FARC is believed to still have as many as 700 civilian hostages

(NEWSER) - Colombia's FARC rebel group has freed what it says are its last 10 military and police captives, all of whom had been held in jungle camps for at least 12 years. The four soldiers and six policemen were handed over to a humanitarian mission by the Marxist rebels. They stepped off a helicopter appearing healthy, with some men accompanied by pets—birds, a monkey, and a small pig—they had acquired during their years in captivity, Reuters reports. More»

27 die in raid on FARC camp

(NEWSER) - Guerrilla leader Sixto Cabana was among 27 rebels killed in a raid on a camp near the Ecuadoran border, Colombian officials announced. Cabana, who had been a member of the FARC rebel group for over 25 years, was a senior commander in the organization and was wanted in the US on drug trafficking charges, the BBC reports. Colombia's defense minister described the raid as the heaviest blow to the rebel group in years. More»

Neighbors had been feuding over rebels, border

(NEWSER) - Venezuela and Colombia have agreed to kiss and make up after a recent feud that at one point had Hugo Chavez lining the border with troops. Chavez met with newly-minted Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos yesterday to proclaim their newfound friendship. The countries will form joint committees to iron out the details, and create a “roadmap” for future relations, Bloomberg reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Despite frequent denials by President Hugo Chavez, it seems Venezuela is still arming Colombian rebels on the sly, the New York Times reports. Computer files captured from FARC rebels reveal Venezuela's efforts to get them missiles, sniper rifles, radios, and Venezuelan identity cards. This after Chavez froze relations with Colombia last year, fuming over accusations that Venezuela was arming rebels with rocket launchers. More»