Farc 'co-ordinator' freed on bail

Maria Remedios Garcia Albert is said to have worked for an NGO

A women arrested on suspicion of being the representative in Spain of the left-wing Colombian Farc rebel group has been released on bail.

Maria Remedios Garcia Albert, a Spanish national, was detained near Madrid on Saturday as part of a joint operation by Spanish and Colombian authorities.

She is accused of providing logistical and financial support for the group.

The Farc, which has waged a 44-year civil war in Colombia, is considered a terrorist group by the EU and the US.

The Colombian government has recently warned that large amounts of the money the rebels raise from cocaine by are often being invested in Europe.

Computer files

Ms Garcia now has seven days to pay 12,000 euros ($18,880) in bail, of she will be taken back into custody, Spain's National Court said.

She has also been ordered not to leave the country and to check in with the court once a week while it considers whether there is enough evidence to charger her.

It is alleged that under the cover of her job with a non-governmental organisation, Ms Garcia provided organisational support and funds to the Farc.

She allegedly helped to co-ordinate the rebel group's wider activities in Europe, liaising with counterparts in Switzerland and Sweden.

Ms Garcia is said to have taken direct orders from a senior Farc leader, Raul Reyes, who was killed by the Colombian army earlier this year. Information from his computer led to her arrest.

At her home in San Lorenzo del Escorial, north-west of Madrid, officers recovered a computer and documents, allegedly referring to the Farc.