The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) promised to free General Ruben Dario Alzate and four others "as soon as possible" after the Marxist rebels reached an agreement with the government. The release of the general, which may happen over the weekend, may lead to a resumption of peace talks that were halted after the general was taken by FARC.
General Alzate's capture was the first time in almost 50 years of fighting between the rebels and the Colombian government that a high-ranking military official had been taken hostage.
Alzate and two others were taken Sunday by a FARC patrol as they were surveying a coastal region of Choco. Soon after Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced the cessation of peace talks which had been ongoing in Cuba.
Santos has staked his presidency on bringing peace to Colombia, winning re-election this year against a right-wing opponent who threatened to ditch the talks and finish the FARC on the battlefield.
