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Wednesday, 31 January, 2001, 05:21 GMT
Colombian hijack ends peacefully
![]() The internal flight was taken to Bogota airport
A stand-off in the Colombian capital Bogota has ended after the armed hijacker of a passenger airliner was overpowered by the plane's captain.
The hijacker is now in the custody of the Colombian authorities and police have confirmed that all 30 passengers and crew are safe and well.
However, the BBC's Jeremy McDermott says some commentators are questioning whether some of the circumstances surrounding the hijacking are purely coincidental. They regard the fact that the hijacking started in the safe haven of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels as the country's fragile peace process hangs in the balance as suspicious. Stand-off The hijacker apparently managed to evade the rebels' airport security and got on board the aircraft, forcing the pilot to fly to Bogota.
"I tried to prevent the plane from taking off, but the pilot signalled to me that I shouldn't," said Adela de Altamar, whose daughter Carolina was aboard the plane. The plane landed in the military section of Bogota airport and negotiations began. Colombian air force commander General Hector Fabio Velasco, who entered the plane during the stand-off, said the man appeared to be a left-wing guerrilla. His only recorded demands were to speak to a member of Amnesty International and to be put on an international flight bound for Europe. Swift end But just as officials were preparing for period of long and drawn out bargaining, the doors of the aircraft opened and the passengers began streaming out.
There have been some reports that the man is a FARC deserter, but his motives for carrying out the hijacking are not clear. However, it comes hours before the deadline for the renewal of the guerrilla safe haven at midnight on 31 January, and the government is under pressure not to grant another term for the zone. The FARC withdrew from negotiations in November and have made no concessions in two years of talks. |
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