MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian rebels release hostage but at the same time kidnap two contractors

President Juan Manuel Santos condemned FARC’s ‘double moral’

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos blasted Thursday the “double moral” of the FARC guerrilla that kidnapped two workers while preparing for the release of several hostages held for years and revealed he was tempted to suspend the liberation operation.

The two contractors of a paper company based in Tambo, Cauca, were originally taken hostage with a third man who managed to escape and alert authorities, according to reports in the Colombian media.

“I was tempted to suspend the release of the hostages, because it is totally unacceptable that the FARC are on the one hand freeing hostages in a gesture of generosity, and on the other kidnapping compatriots. This is totally unacceptable” emphasized President Santos.

But he admitted that “we are not going to suspend release operations, we don’t want to frustrate the excitement and the hope that their families naturally have after years of waiting”.

“We demand the release of all hostages and we condemn this double moral, on the one hand making it a media and PR party and on the other continuing to kidnap people, it’s totally unacceptable and inhuman”.

However Santos promised to continue working “for the recovery of the two kidnapped contractors, as soon as possible, as well as all other hostages”.

On Wednesday FARC (Colombia Revolutionary Armed Forces) released and delivered to a humanitarian group a councillor, Marcos Baquero, 33, who had been held hostage for 19 months.

This Friday FARC anticipated it would release another councillor Armando Acuña, 48 and a Marine, Henry Lopez (25); on Sunday a Police Mayor, Guillermo Solorzano (34) and an Army corporal Salin Sanmiguel (25).