Chinese hostages released in Colombia

BOGOTA - Four Chinese hostages who were kidnapped in Colombia by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group last year have been released, the Chinese embassy in Colombia confirmed Thursday.

The four, whose names are not identified, are in good health, though one was in a wheelchair, and will receive additional physical checkups in the capital Bogota, the embassy said.

Chinese ambassador to Colombia Wang Xiaoyuan (3rd from right) shakes hands with a Chinese hostage on Nov 22, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos hailed the release of the hostages, saying he had spoken with Chinese Ambassador Wang Xiaoyuan, "and I want to celebrate the release of the four Chinese nationals. Kidnapping is something that should not happen again ever."  

The four were kidnapped in Cagueta Department in southern Colombia on June 8, 2011.

They were released Wednesday night. They slept at a hotel in the town of San Vicente del Caguan, Caqueta, and were flown to Bogota Thursday on a plane chartered by the Chinese embassy. Ambassador Wang said they would be flown to China Friday.

The four hostages were turned over to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) by "unidentified men" dressed in civilian clothes in a district of San Vicente known as Los Pozos, said Caqueta Police Chief Col. Carlos Vargas.

Red Cross delegation head Jordi Raich said one of the released captives has "mobility problems," but "the other three are in general well."

The four Chinese hostages worked for Emerald Energy oil company, a subsidiary of the Chinese firm Sinochem, but headquartered in London. The day they were kidnapped, they were traveling by highway from San Vicente accompanied by a Colombian driver.

At least seven people who were heavily armed forced them to stop and took them captive, releasing the driver, who reported the kidnapping, hours later.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a rebel group, is believed to be responsible for the kidnapping, though FARC maintains that it stopped kidnapping, for political or economic motives, more than a year ago, and holds no more hostages.

No ransom was ever demanded for the Chinese captives, the ambassador told reporters.