Released Colombian Hostage
Meets His Family
Bogota - Former Colombian governor Alan
Jara arrived at a provincial airport Tuesday after being released by
the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in a rural place
in southern country.
Jara, 51, who had been held by the FARC since July 15, 2001, was
welcomed by his wife Claudia Rugeles and his son Alan Felip at the
airport of Villavicencio, 90 kilometers southeast of Bogota. They
hugged each other after the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) and Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba finished the delivery.
"I'm free, free. I had rested for seven years and a half in the
jungle and now I will go to work," Jara told reporters after he
stepped out of a helicopter.
According to Jara's relatives, Jara was in good health condition
despite he had been kept as a hostage for such a long period.
Cordoba said that she will continue working for the release of other
hostages, especially Sigifredo Lopez, who will be released on
Thursday.
"The work for the releases will continue. I have to thank the FARC
for having fulfilled their words about the hostages release," she
said.
"We will continue the release process, which makes Colombians
believe again that political and negotiated solutions could achieve
peace in Colombia," Cordoba added.
An estimated 700 people are currently being held by the FARC,
Colombia's largest guerilla group, including a group of about 20
high-profile hostages "exchangeable" for its members in prison.
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