Bogotà – Three of the longest detained FARC hostages are free thanks to the Colombian Army. The three, all members of the national Police, had been kidnapped in 1998. Their liberation comes at the eve of the Presidential elections of 20 June. The voters will select the successor of Uribe, whose two mandates have been dominated by a relentless fight against the guerrilla and the narcotraffickers.
The favored candidate is Uribe’s heir apparent, the former Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, who has already stated he’ll continue the hard line approach against the rebels.