28/10/2013 10:38
Colombian guerrillas release American hostage
Colombia's FARC guerrilla group has released an American hostage who spent more than four months in captivity, CNN reported, citing officials.
The leftist rebels captured Kevin Scott Sutay on June 20, when he was backpacking through Colombia.
He was released to representatives from the Red Cross, Cuba and Norway in a rural area of southeastern Colombia, then handed over to U.S. officials Sunday morning at Bogota's airport, the governments of Cuba and Norway said in a statement.
Sutay's case drew attention from the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who pushed for his release during a trip last month to Cuba.
Sutay served in the U.S. Army from November 2009 to March 2013, including a year-long tour in Afghanistan, according to the U.S. Defense Department.
He is from Willow Spring, North Carolina, and has won a number of awards, including an Army Commendation Medal and a National Defense Service Medal. The Pentagon lists his rank as private.
"The United States is profoundly grateful to the Government of Colombia and commends its tireless efforts to secure his release," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a statement Sunday. "We offer special thanks to President Juan Manuel Santos for his assistance. We also appreciate the contributions of the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Governments of Norway and Cuba in securing Mr. Sutay's freedom."