The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on Tuesday released 10 police and military hostages, with some having been in captivity for as many as 14 years.
“It is certainly a step in the right direction, and a very important step. But, as we said when we made the initial announcement … it is not enough,” President Juan Manuel Santos said in a statement.
FARC, a Marxist-Leninist group that was founded in 1964, has fought against the Colombian government for decades. Even though the rebels have been weakened in recent years, there are still an undetermined number of hostages being held.
Santos urged FARC to “release the kidnapped civilians that are still detained,” according to the statement. Until the civilians are released, Santos said the Colombian army will continue to confront the rebel group.
The hostage release was coordinated by the International Committee of the Red Cross near the border between the Guaviare and Meta departments in Colombia.
“We’re overjoyed that in just one day this operation will successfully reunite 10 families, putting an end to their agonizing wait,” stated Jordi Raich, the head of the Red Cross team in Colombia.
