print:UPDATE #2! Breaking News: Ch�vez secures release of 4 more prisoners held by FARC. Freed prisoners reunite with their families at Bolivarian Airport, Caracas | Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela |Axisoflogic.com

Axis of Logic Update #2

TELESUR now reports live from Bolivarian Airport with video of the 4 freed hostages in highly emotional reunions with their families and loved ones. These images and videos are followed by additional footage taken earlier in the Colombian jungle, showing FARC soldiers giving beautiful tropical flowers to their captives who left their captors for Venezuela after emotional embraces. While there is no doubt that they were in fact prisoners, taken in the civil war in Colombia, it appears that at least some of these captor-captive relationships in the jungles of Colombia were unique to prisoners of war as we have come to understand them in history. Thanks to the mediation of this humantarian Venezuelan mission and to President Chávez personally, Gloria Polanco, Luis Eladio Perez, Orlando Beltran and Jorge Gechem and their families are reunited and Colombians may be seeing what could be the first step toward peace in their 40 year civil war. A great deal now depends on the response of the Uribe government in Bogota.

-Les Blough in Venezuela

Postscript: At 7 pm Venezuelan time, Telesure broadcasts live report and video of the 4 freed prisoners and families being greeted by Chávez at Miraflores Palace in Caracas.

Axis of Logic Update #1

De izq a derecha: Orlando Beltr�n (sup. izq,), Gloria Polanco (sup. der.), Jorge G�chem (inf. izq.) y Luis Eladio P�rez (inf. der.) fueron entregados por las FARC. (Foto: Efe) (photos taken before captiviity

At 5 pm Venezuelan time, Telesur Broadcast the following headlines over video showing the Venezuelan liberators arrive by helicopter at Santa Domingo airport:

"LIBERADOS LLEGAN A TERRITORIO VENEZOLANO
AEROPUERTO DE SANTO DOMINGO - T�CHIRA",

The announcement of their arrival in Santa Domingo, Venezuela told the story of those who went deep into the Colombian jungle to bring back 4 more POWs released by FARC after 6 and 7 years in prison. Piedad C�rdoba, Senadora from Colombia and Ram�n Rodriguez Chac�n, Venezuela's Minister of Justice and the Interior led the delegation. Piedad C�rdoba is the friend of President Ch�vez who helped organize the liberation of 2 FARC-held prisoners in January and had her life threatened. Many think those threats came from inside the Colombian government.

At 5:15 Venezuelan time, Telesur is broadcasting the earlier arrival of the prisoners themselves walking out of the jungle with FARC soldiers to meet their Venezuelan liberators. The Venezuelan delegation arrived first in Santa Domingo and the freed prisoners will follow in a separate flight. At the edge of the jungle, Senadora C�rdoba, and Jesse Chac�n, greeted the prisoners in an emotional meeting at the edge of the Colombian jungle before leaving for Santa Domingo.

One by one, the four prisoners expressed their joy and their gratitude to Venezuela and specifically to President Ch�vez for their freedom. They will follow the Venezuelan delegation to Caracas under Cuban medical supervision in a separate Venezuelan helicopter bearing Red Cross insignia. At 5:30 pm, Venezuelan time, Jesse Chac�n, Venezuela's Minister of the Office of the Presidency, gave a press conference to Telesur. He announced that the freed prisoners "are in a much better state of health than anyone expected", despite earlier declarations by the Colombian government that they were in poor health and that one of the men, Jorge Gechem, had to be carried out on a stretcher. Indeed, the 4 prisoners walked briskly out of the jungle with their captors and embraced their liberators. Following the turnover of the prisoners to the Venezuelan delegation, the FARC soldiers who brought them out, faded into the jungle to join their comrades. - LMB

Read today's report below to learn more about this historic liberation and check back in with us on this page for more updates and photos.

Venezuelan Helicopters bearing the Red Cross insignia on a mission to pick up 4 more POWs released by FARC in Colombia

February 27, 2008

Axis of Logic - Today, Jesse Chac�n, Venezuela's Minister of the Office of the Presidency announced on TeleSur that four prisoners of war, held by FARC in the ongoing civil war in Colombia have been released. FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) turned the following prisoners over to a delegation from Venezuela after their release was mediated by President Ch�vez. Their families eagerly await their arrival in Caracas.

Gloria Polanco: Former congresswoman

Luis Eladio Perez: Former senator

Orlando Beltran: Former congressman

Jorge Gechem: Former congressman

The four were taken prisoners while operating in FARC-held territory in 2001 and 2002. Venezuelan helicopters flew them to an undisclosed location in Venezuela from Santo Domingo, a town on the Venezuelan/Colombian frontier. The Red Cross and Cuban doctors accompanied the Venezuelan delegation, ready to provide medical services to those released if needed.

Last month in the first prisoner release, mediated by President Ch�vez, Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez were freed by FARC. The unilateral release of these prisoners is the first breakthrough in Colombia's civil war in over 40 years. Hundreds of other POWs are being held by FARC and at least as many members of FARC are POWs being held in squalid Colombian prisons by the Colombian government. Talks of a prisoner-exchange between FARC and the Colombian government began months ago; however, Washington-backed, Colombian President �lvaro Uribe backed out, ending the talks.

Subsequently, President Ch�vez was asked to intervene and mediate. As a consequence, FARC agreed to release prisoners unilaterally as a gesture of good faith, without a corresponding release of its POWs, held by the Colombian government. The release of Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez was complicated when President Uribe demanded that Ch�vez' mediation end. When Uribe was pressured into allowing the prisoner release to go forward, he further complicated the release by carrying out heavy military operations around the prisoners and their captors as they walked 4 days through the Colombian jungle to meet the Venezuelan helicopters. Despite Uribe's attempts to sabotage the operation, the prisoner release of Rojas and Gonzalez was successful and they were able to rejoin their families and loved ones. Both women have repeatedly credited and thanked President Ch�vez for their release.

These two unilateral liberations of FARC POWs are expected bring more pressure to bear on President Uribe, who has been intransigient in the stalemate with FARC which controls a huge portion of South-Central Colombia. FARC has been listed as a "terrorist organization" by the United States and the European Union. However, a Danish court declared that FARC is not a terrorist organization in a precedent-setting decision in December, 2007. The decision by this European court contradicts the listing of FARC as "terrorist" by the European Union.

Gloria Polanco, Luis Eladio Perez, Orlando Beltran and Jorge Gechem realize their freedom today as a result of the leadership of President Ch�vez and the humanity of FARC commanders who have been willing to move Colombia toward peace despite the refusal of the Washington-backed Uribe regime in Bogota to help bring about the end of Colombia's 40 year civil war. The 4 are expected to arrive at an undisclosed location in Venezuela and then to rejoin their families in Caracas this afternoon for the first time in 6-7 years, according to TeleSur reports.

Read full coverage of FARC's POW release in January on Axis of Logic

Return to this page for updates on this breaking news today.

- Les Blough in Venezuela

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