MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombia's FARC releases last civilian hostage

Sigifredo Lopez met his mother after seven years

Colombia's Revolutionary Armed Forces, FARC, released Thursday the last civilian among a group of 22 so-called political captives held by the rebels. Two Red Cross helicopters were involved in the release of the former lawmaker Sigifredo Lopez, 45, held captive by the drug-funded group for almost seven years.

He is the only survivor among a group of lawmakers kidnapped en masse in 2002. FARC now holds only military and police officials. This development could open the possibility for a swap of "combat captives" between the drug funded FARC and government, said Cesar Restrepo, an analyst at Bogota's Security and Democracy Foundation. "Once Lopez is freed, the door opens to some sort of prisoner exchange of both sides," said Restrepo, a military analyst. "Without the civilians involved, it's easier for the FARC to bow their heads and swap captives without involving a demilitarized zone." The FARC has always demanded demilitarized zones in the areas surrounding the western towns of Florida and Pradera, something Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has refused. FARC also demands that released guerrillas return to their ranks. Opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba who helped broker the release, said she had a message on a compact disc from Alfonso Cano, the FARC's leader. Since taking office in 2002, Uribe has launched a military crackdown on the FARC and the smaller ELN guerrilla group, as well as the rebels' rightist paramilitary foes. Uribe was re-elected in 2006 with 62% of the vote on pledges to put an end to the four decades of violence. Disease, casualties and desertion have reduced the number of FARC fighters to about 8,000 from 17,000, according to government estimates. Lopez, the sixth hostage released this week by the FARC, crumpled into tears as he stepped off the helicopter to embrace his family. Wearing rubber boots provided by the guerrillas and a baseball cap, he greeted the wives of his fellow lawmakers, who were murdered by the guerrillas in June 2007. Lopez is the only survivor among 12 lawmakers kidnapped in 2002 in a daring operation the rebels filmed. The legislators were kidnapped from the congressional building in Cali, Valle del Cauca province, after being told by undercover rebels there was a bomb threat in the building. The lawmakers were forced onto a bus, told they were hostages and taken into captivity. Lopez was separated from the other 11 lawmakers in June 2007 at the time they were shot and killed, according to the FARC. The rebels initially said the death were the result of cross fire with unidentified troops. Forensic investigators later concluded the lawmakers had been shot with rebel AK-47s in the back and some at close range. The 11 were killed just weeks after Uribe freed dozens of captured guerrillas, including the highest ranking jailed rebel leader Rodrigo Granda, in a bid to clinch an exchange of prisoners. "The FARC are totally weakened now as far as negotiating with the government on captives, but they're not destroyed," said Restrepo. "This release is simply a media ploy and a tactical issue as it's hard to move around with the hostages".