In Push for Peace Talks, Rebels Release 42 Captives in Colombia
Armed rebels released 42 Colombian police and soldiers to a government envoy Saturday, giving some of the captives their first taste of liberty in years and clearing the path for peace talks.
After marching the captives out of a jungle hide-out, fighters from the leftist National Liberation Army, or ELN, released them to government peace envoy Camilo Gomez in the northern village of Convencion, a presidential statement said.
The captives appeared healthy and well-groomed in images shown on television. Some laughed and high-fived as ELN commander Felipe Torres, who was temporarily released from maximum-security prison to facilitate the event, read out their names.
“Colombians should realize that peace is possible, that it’s possible to find avenues of reconciliation,” Gomez said after the release.
The freed captives later arrived in Bucaramanga, where diplomats, doctors and family members had gathered to greet them.
The ELN is still holding six security force members, three of whom were to be released with the group of 42. The six are now expected to be freed in January, Gomez said.
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