Bogotá, December 26 (RHC-teleSUR) -- The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) will release a Colombian soldier who they have been holding since December 19th, according to a statement released by the rebel group on Thursday.
“We informed the country that today a special humanitarian protocol has been launched for the release of Carlos Becerra Ojeda, a professional soldier captured in combat on December 19th in the state of Cauca,” reads the statement.
Ojeda was taken captive last week after clashes erupted between government troops and the FARC in the western state of Cauca.
In their statement, the FARC said that Ojeda had been wounded in the fighting, and called his release a humanitarian act.
“The release is a new peace gesture by the FARC, but also a humanitarian act considering that the soldier was slightly injured during combat.”
Details of the soldiers' injuries and time of freeing are not yet known. Members of the Red Cross have already started traveling to the area where Ojeda will be released. Representatives from the outside governments monitoring the ongoing peace talks in Havana –- Norway and Cuba –- will also be present for the release.
