By RIA Novosti
Moscow : Around two million Colombians around the world took to the streets in protest at FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) demanding the release of hostages and an end to kidnapping, media reported.
The protests took place in over 160 cities in Latin America, Spain, Sweden, Hungary, France, Italy, India, Australia, the U.S., the U.K., Russia, Canada and Japan with demonstrators shouting “No more FARC.”
The revolutionary group, considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU, is currently holding around 700 hostages, including three American contractors – Marc Gonsalves, Tom Howes, and Keith Stansell – captured in 2003 and French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, who ran for president in Colombia in 2002.
Awareness of the global demonstration was initiated a month ago using the social networking site Facebook and was also supported by Colombian embassies.
In January two hostages, held captive for six years, were released after talks between the rebels and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.
FARC say they are ready to exchange 45 hostages, some of whom have spent nearly a decade in captivity, for 500 imprisoned rebels. And in late January the rebel group announced they would free three other hostages, who are apparently in poor health, but gave no deadline.
Monday’s march was praised by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, who is a strong supporter of a military operation to free the hostages, but criticized by the Betancourt family. “We condemn this manipulation. It’s propaganda, which while pretending to be against the FARC is completely organized by the government,” Astrid Betancourt, Ingrid’s sister was cited by the Al Jazeera news agency as saying.