Sweet Freedom

There are a lot of happy families tonight after Colombian military forces tricked the increasingly badly led FARC guerrillas and freed 15 high-value hostages the “rebels” had been holding for years. Three Americans, a former Colombian presidential candidate and members of Colombia’s military and police were freed. FARC has retreated back into the jungles of Colombia.

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombian spies tricked leftist rebels into handing over kidnapped presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors Wednesday in a daring helicopter rescue so successful that not a single shot was fired.

Betancourt, who was seized on the campaign trail six long years ago, appeared thin but healthy as she strode down the stairs of a military plane and held her mother in a long embrace.

“Thank you for your impeccable operation,” she told top military commanders. “The operation was perfect.”

Eleven Colombian police and soldiers were also freed in the rescue, the most serious blow ever dealt to the 44-year-old Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, which considered the four hostages their most valuable bargaining chips. The FARC is already reeling from the deaths of key commanders and the loss of much of the territory it once held.

Even the support of FARC by (T)Hugo Chavez isn’t helping at this point. The Colombian government is trying to get the remaining FARC forces to negotiate. They might want to think about that really hard, before their luck runs out completely.

categories War, World news | Gaius Wednesday, 2 July , 2008

  • By Alice C. Linsley, Wednesday, 2 July , 2008 @ 6:47 pm

    I am so glad of this news.  I had been praying for Betancourt for these past years. All these hostages need our prayers as they try to adjust back to normal life.
    I hope that Betancourt will be able to lead again.  She has something special to offer teh people of Colombia.

  • By martian, Thursday, 3 July , 2008 @ 8:30 am

    I smell a movie coming……………..

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