The eight Venezuelan “prisoners of war” are now free. The FARC dissidents have released today in Apure, a border state with Colombia, the eight officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) who had been kidnapped for almost a month and a half.. An unprecedented chapter so far this century in Venezuela, since the last kidnapping of soldiers carried out by the Colombian guerrillas dated from 1997, two years before the inauguration of Hugo Chávez..

The operation was only carried out after the previous withdrawal of the Venezuelan forces, which had been known for 24 hours and which was celebrated by the Colombian guerrilla, which has become strong in that area of the neighboring country..

In the first image of the eight soldiers, published on social networks by the journalist Ibéyise Pacheco, they appear between smiles, with good physical appearance and showing various typical Venezuelan products, inside a plane bound for Caracas.. In the capital they will pass a medical examination.

All of them were captured in a failed Army operation in the La Capilla sector, in which 16 comrades died.. About thirty soldiers from the assault forces landed by helicopter in the middle of guerrilla territory, which had more than 300 men in the area.

Javier Tarazona, director of the NGO FundaRedes, announced the news of the liberation, as he has done with all the war events since the Venezuelan army deployed along the border of Venezuelan Apure and Arauca more than two months ago. Venezuelan to support the actions of the FARC Segunda Marquetalia, commanded by his ally Iván Márquez. The other guerrilla commander, Jesús Santrich, lost his life in an ambush that occurred in Venezuelan territory two weeks ago, as recognized by the same guerrilla, although Caracas has avoided confirming the news..

In the last proof of life made public by the kidnappers, the military demanded that Diosdado Cabello (“my captain,” according to the spokesman for the kidnapped), number two in the revolution, intervene to facilitate their release..

Chavismo has maintained almost total silence since the fighting began, it even took a week to admit that its men were in the hands of the guerrillas.. Nor has it reported on the conditions imposed for the release by the FARC dissidents..

The different fronts of the FARC fight to the death for one of the most important drug trafficking corridors on the continent. Both the FARC's Segunda Marquetalia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) are allies of Chavismo and for years have maintained a visible presence in Venezuela, which has become their sanctuary.. They also participate in work of social control of the population.

The government, on the contrary, justifies its participation in this armed conflict by arguing that they are irregular groups supported by Colombia and the CIA..

“Defeated and humiliated, the FANB military leadership withdrew from Apure state, ceding our territory to the criminal gangs of the FARC. This day will be remembered as the day of national shame,” criticized opposition leader Alfredo Ramos..