▁events ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 0 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁former ▁vice ▁president ial ▁candidate ▁Clara ▁Ro jas ▁and ▁former ▁con gress w oman ▁Cons uel o ▁González ▁were ▁fre ed ▁after ▁nearly ▁six ▁years ▁in ▁capt ivity . ▁In ▁a ▁Venezuela - bro ker ed ▁deal , ▁a ▁hel ic opter ▁fle w ▁deep ▁into ▁Colombia ▁to ▁pick ▁up ▁both ▁host ages . ▁The ▁women ▁were ▁esc orted ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁j ung le ▁by ▁armed ▁gu err illas ▁to ▁a ▁clear ing ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁Venez uel an ▁hel ic op ters ▁that ▁bore ▁International ▁Red ▁Cross ▁ins ign ias . ▁In ▁a ▁statement ▁published ▁on ▁a ▁pro - re bel ▁Web ▁site , ▁the ▁F AR C - EP ▁said ▁the ▁un il ater al ▁release ▁demonstrated ▁the ▁group ' s ▁willing ness ▁to ▁eng age ▁the ▁Colomb ian ▁government ▁in ▁tal ks ▁over ▁the ▁release ▁of ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 8 0 0 ▁people ▁who ▁are ▁still ▁being ▁held . ▁In ▁a ▁tele vised ▁speech , ▁Colombia ' s ▁U . S .- al lied ▁president , ▁Ál var o ▁Uri be , ▁thank ed ▁Ch ave z ▁for ▁his ▁efforts . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁period ▁she ▁was ▁held ▁kid n apped ▁in ▁the ▁j ung le ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Clara ▁Ro jas ▁gave ▁birth ▁to ▁her ▁son ▁by ▁Ca es are an . ▁At ▁ 8 ▁months ▁old , ▁the ▁baby ▁was ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁area ▁and ▁Ro