Colombia calls on the streets freedom of the hostages

Under the slogan "Christmas in freedom. For the release of FARC hostages," hundreds of thousands of Colombians returned yesterday to take to the streets of the country to demand the release of the hostages, in response to the call launched by Ingrid Betancourt, hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for six years.



oratinos and Ruiz Gallardón tuck in Madrid to the former hostage by the FARC

Dressed in white shirts with the legend "I am Colombia", the demonstrators marched in 250 municipalities. There were also concentrations in several cities in the world, including Madrid, where the march, held in the Plaza de Colon, was led by the very Betancourt, accompanied by Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, and the mayor of the capital, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón.

"That is how I choose to bring in other hostages." This appeal to the FARC did Isaza, the former guerrilla who fled a month ago with the hostage Oscar Tulio Lizcano. Isaza was among the first to arrive at the central Plaza de Bolivar in Bogota. According to official figures, at least 2,800 people abducted between 1996 and 2007 are still being held captive. More than 700 are held by the FARC, including the 25 exchangeable with which the guerrillas intended to freedom of their imprisoned fighters.

The past was the least crowded of the three marches held this year against kidnapping. There were no rivers of people on streets and avenues. There is an explanation. The above-the March 4 and July 20, was made when the mood was heated by the news: the evidence of the inhuman conditions in which they lived hostages and the euphoria caused by Operation Checkmate, who returned to freedom to Ingrid Betancourt and 14 more hostages.

Yesterday, however, the demonstration was large and emotional. Marched hand in hand with former hostages, ex-guerrillas, students, trade unionists and families of missing and abducted. "It was a march of solidarity, peaceful, beautiful. Toca invent new mechanisms for further disavowing the kidnapping and violations of human rights," said Olga Lucia Gomez, director of the Free Country Foundation.