Hostages Freed by Daring Rescue Mission in Colombia

By Anastacia Mott Austin

The plan hinged on poor communication within the Colombian rebel forces of FARC (translated as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia), a dissatisfied double agent, an escaped former hostage, and the acting abilities of disguised rescue operatives.

The most well known of the captives is Ingrid Betancourt, a French-Colombian who ran for President of Colombia against current President Alvaro Uribe. She was abducted by FARC n 2002, along with her running mate Clara Rojas, during their campaign.

The plan to liberate 14 hostages, including four Americans, held by FARC began about a month ago, as U.S. and Colombian forces monitored the whereabouts of the captives and their guards. An unhappy member of FARC agreed to go undercover and help free the hostages.

Because communication is known to be so poor within FARC, especially after the recent deaths of three top commanders, the double agent was able to convince those guarding the hostages that they had been ordered to move them. "The FARC's communications are medieval," said Colombia’s armed forces chief Freddy Padilla to reporters.

The double agent told the rebel leaders that the captives would be transported by a humanitarian aid helicopter to their new camp.

Then, disguised as rebels and relief workers, the eleven air force and military agents landed in the helicopter and, aided by the double agent, convinced acting rebel leader Gerardo "Cesar" Aguila Ramirez, that they were taking the hostages to their new location.

The eleven rescuers had taken acting lessons for a week and a half to make sure they were convincing in their roles.

They must have done a good job, because the rebels handed over the 14 hostages, though Cesar Ramirez and a rebel guard went with them. The rescuers tied the hostages up, to help convince the rebels and to avoid a possible escape attempt. "These are…trained soldiers we're dealing with," said Padilla of the hostages, who were not aware they were being liberated until they were airborne. "Nobody wanted to risk them trying to overpower the crew."

Once in the air, Cesar Ramirez and his aide were tied up and the 14 captives were told that they were now free.

An elated Betancourt described to the press the moment the officers told them they were actually being rescued. "We are the national army, you are free!'" Betancourt related them as shouting. "The helicopter almost fell out of the sky because we jumped and screamed, we hugged and cried."

The rescue mission could not have been carried out without the help of John Frank Pinchao, a Colombian police officer who had been held with the other hostages and escaped last year. Pinchao filled the rescue officers in on the everyday workings of the rebel camp, how they traveled, their routines, and their communication weaknesses.

For Betancort and the other hostages, they are just grateful to the combined U.S. and Colombian military effort, which Betancort called "impeccable."

She later added, "I never expected to get out alive. It's a miracle.'"