US Marine Sutay stayed four months in the jungle
Colombia’s FARC rebels freed a former U.S. marine who was kidnapped in June. FARC held him captive for four months while he trekked through the jungle.
Mr.Sutay was reportedly delivered to U.S. embassy officials at the airport in the capital Bogota by the delegation of the governments of Norway, Colombia and Cuba.
A doctor reportedly confirmed Mr. Sutay to be in good health and fit to travel.
Sutay Ignored Warnings
Kevin Scott Sutay is a a veteran of the war in Afghanistan. He reportedly ignored warning by the Colombian authority against “hiking in the red zone” for rebel areas.
Mr. Sutay is fond of backpacking. He had trekked through Central and South American countries before he was captured by the FARC.
FARC A Notorious Rebel Group
Colombia’s FARC has been fighting the government for five decades. The clashes have killed more than 200,000. The rebel group is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States and European Union.
The FARC is composed of 8,000 fighters. However, the numbers of its members decreased by half due to a decade-long military offensive with the support of the U.S. government.
US Welcomes The Release Of Sutay
In a press statement in Washington DC, US Secretary of State John Kerry says the US welcomes the release of Kevin Scott Sutay from captivity at the hands of the FARC.
Secretary Kerry expresses profound gratefulness to the Government of Colombia and commends its tireless efforts to secure his release.
“We offer special thanks to President Juan Manuel Santos for his assistance.” – Secretary Kerry
In addition, Secretary Kerry said he appreciated the contributions of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Governments of Norway and Cuba in securing Mr. Sutay’s freedom.
US And Colombia Collaborate On Counterterrorism
The US government provided military and economic aid to Colombia for the purposes of counterinsurgency and counterterrorism.
In 2002, the US sent advisors to Colombia under a $94 million counterinsurgency program to protect oil pipelines in the country.
In addition, US government officials have compared the FARC with Osama Bin Laden and named them global terrorists.
