FARC Rebels Murder Four Hostages, in New Blow for Peace

Colombian rebel group the FARC executed four hostages during a clash with the army on Saturday in the southern province of Caqueta. One hostage managed to escape during the fighting, and is now in Bogota with his family.

The dead men were all members of the security forces, and had been held by the guerrillas for between 12 and 14 years. They were found with shots in the head and back after having been executed to prevent their rescue -- and still bound in chains.Army Sergeant Jose Martinez Estrada, thought to be the FARC’s longest-held captive, was among the victims. He had a 13-year-old son that he never met.

Sergeant Luis Alberto Erazo Maya, who had been held prisoner since 1999, hid in the jungle while the fighting took place. Rebels reportedly threw grenades at him as he fled, leaving him with facial injuries He has now been reunited with his relatives, including two daughters, and is being treated in hospital. He spoke to the press about his escape;

The guerrillas told us that if there was combat we should run to their side, because they would hand us over safe and sound. I forgot that, and ran into the jungle. My companions, instead, went up to them, and that was when they were murdered in cold blood.

The Colombian government said that the operation was a rescue attempt by the armed forces, who had intelligence that the rebel unit was holding hostages. However, this would be an odd move on the part of the government, as the rebels have a stated policy of executing their prisoners rather than letting them be rescued. The FARC have repeatedly proved their willingness to murder prisoners, as Reuters details;

In 2003, Guillermo Gaviria, governor of Antioquia province, was shot along with an adviser and eight military captives when troops attempted to free them. In 2007, 11 lawmakers were shot when the rebels falsely believed troops entered their camp.

Families of the slain hostages criticized the rescue attempt, while relatives of those who are still being held called on the authorities not to carry out further such operations, asking the government to instead begin dialogue with the FARC.

This dialogue has appeared closer in recent months, with President Juan Manuel Santos taking a number of steps that could form part of a negotiation with the rebel leadership, including legislation to make it possible for demobilized guerrillas to hold public office, and moves towards land reform, a long-held goal of the group. However, less than a month ago, the security forces killed the FARC’s commander-in-chief, alias “Alfonso Cano,” in a raid on his hideout in southwest Colombia. This has been widely condemned as a step backwards for peace, both as an act of violence and because it left the leadership in the hands of “Timochenko,” a more hardline figure. However, Santos has argued that the identity of the person who is at the head of the seven-man Secretariat does not matter, as the body makes decisions as a collective.

This latest tragedy has already damaged the hopes of peace, with Congress setting aside the prospect of political concessions for demobilized guerrillas. As one senator told La Silla Vacia, there should be no such concession for those who “shoot defenseless victims in the back.”

More from the Wall Street Journal, LA Times


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