Telesur exclusive video here. Spanish only, but the emotion comes across loud and clear. Clara Rojas and Consuelo Gonzalez arrived safe and sound in a jungle clearing somewhere in the Guaviare region of Colombia, accompanied by a small troop of FARC guerrillas who, while armed, are clearly neither hostile nor menacing. When the time comes to say goodbye, it’s hugs, handshakes and “Happy New Year” all around. Then the rebels drift off into the bush, turning to wave goodbye as the women prepare to board the waiting Venezuelan helicopter with the Red Cross logo, along with Venezuelan justice minister Ramon Rodriguez Chacin, the Cuban ambassador to Venezuela, German Sanchez Otero (who was also instrumental in the peace talks), and Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba (in red turban and hoodie.) At Santo Domingo, Tachira, on the Venezuelan side of the border, they change over from the helicopter to a Falcon airplane. Next stop: Simon Bolivar International Airport, at Maiquetia, where the two women’s families are waiting for them (heart-warming videos from VTV and Telesur here).
Here’s Venezuelanalysis on the big rescue.
And they said it couldn’t be done. The idiots at Investors’ Business Daily, in particular, have just gotten a big black eye. I wonder if they are all eating their words now?
Nice!
Let’s hope that this is part of a developing trend.
Chavez is a peacemaker, and is congratulated for his part in making this happen.
Tonight the families concerned are having a belated, and well deserved, celebration of the New Year.
My thoughts are with these families–and the many more that will find a better future with resolution of these conflicts.
Same here, Slave. I’m hoping Ingrid Betancourt and the three missing Americans will be among the next batch of those let go.
Meanwhile, get a load of this:
http://www.borev.net/2008/01/hostages_free_bush_officials_s.html
If you thought Uribe was a dickweed, BushCo still has him beat. It’s obvious that none of them wanted this to succeed, and they are now gnashing their teeth over it.
Looks good on ’em. May Chavecito go on succeeding where the dickweeds fail.