Guerrillas la Colombia Rttemt Two US Hostages'
Colombia's two principal guerrillaRe-olutknaij Aimed Facet of Colombia (PARC)ihe Natio&al UbetaoonS hostage in Sepaanbo. Three Hew Tribe.uppad by ibaFARCiawaain me only US dtuew held captive inhey are till stive.
Thed Pront released Donald Lee Garyeptember Guerrillas kidnapped Cary ra March and refused to free bira after the familyansom in June. The family may have paid an additional ransom.
The LlJJ't Jow Solano Sepulvcda hrom released US geologist Donald RiedcJonths His family paid atO0O
Tha PARC kidnapped US mbaknerta Mark Rich. David Matthias, sad Rick Tonenofl in3 The terrunaa have not provided proof of lifeut informationaptured guerrilla indjcaiea that the hostages were alive In PARC captivity Inowever. PARC leaders nave repeatedly deniedey kidnapped the US missionaries.
The Colombian Goverrunent'i anti-kidnapping czar. Ruben Darlo Ramirez, has declared the New Tribes Missionaries "legally disappeared and probably dead "
Tbe nweens' motive fcr rrkasmg US hostages ishe FARC probaKy released Cary becaoae be was in poor health, and his family already badart-sorn. Thaway have freed Riedel when it realized his faeflUy had exhausted its financial resources. The releases probably were not Intended as gestures of good will toward US citizens.
oneptember (be ELN made
an overtureepresentative of Spain's Socialist Party to establish contact with tho US Government The ELN probably did not tree Riedol because It wanted toialogue wifli Washington, but once the last US hostage vas released, ihe ELN easy have poroMved an acQCtaxBty to develop contacts wiifa US officials and enhance its kegiumscy wfuieeace pnxess -im
BorceQ
The release of the hostages does noteduced threat to US Interests in Colombia. An exact hostage count Is not available, but multiple sources indicate that the PARC and ELN continue to hold collectively wellostages and have not renounced terrorist activity or pledged to retrain from kidnapping US dtiienaJ |
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