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4 former Colombia hostages reunited with family

15 June 2010 01:37 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Four hostages rescued from Marxist guerrillas in Colombia over the weekend were reunited with their families Monday in Bogota, the nation’s capital, a broadcast on CNN affiliate Caracol TV showed, APA reports quoting CNN.
The four men were taken from the jungle Monday aboard military helicopters to an airport at San Jose de Guaviare and loaded onto a transport airplane that took on a 45-minute flight to Bogota, the broadcast showed.
Flanked by tearful family, the captives spoke to the nation and gave thanks to God, their rescuers, the media and family members. One former captive harshly criticized the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels, who had held him and the other three hostages since 1998.
"They are savages," Sgt. Maj. Harvey Delgado Argote said. "They have made my daughters suffer. I didn’t know my daughters."
Three of the former hostages still wore around their necks the heavy chains that had been used to hold them captive.
They were met in Bogota by Minister of Defense Gabriel Silva.
Colombian officials had said Sunday that they had rescued police Gen. Luis Herlindo Mendieta, Col. Enrique Murillo and Delgado.
On Monday, authorities said they also rescued Lt. Col. William Donato Gomez, whom the Colombian military found near where the other three police officials were found.