Colombia’s FARC rebels have released a former US Marine to the International Red Cross, after holding Kevin Scott Sutay prisoner for four months in a remote jungle area.  The Afghan War veteran had been hiking through an area of Colombia known for guerilla activity.

Sutay had reportedly hiked through several Central and South American countries before ignoring warnings from Colombian police and entered a “red zone”.  He was apparently hiking towards Brazil.  The rebels accused him of being involved in a counter-insurgency operation, in the guise of a security contractor.

The Marxist FARC has been in negotiations to end the 50-year old civil war with the Colombian government.  The group has been trying to give Sutay back for at least a few weeks, agreeing to third party mediators such as former Senator Piedad Cordoba and US civil rights activist the rev. Jesse Jackson, both rejected by the Colombian government.

In the end, the Red Cross was the agreed upon mediator.  Sutay was reportedly released in good health.

The FARC and their smaller counterpart, the ELN, have been fighting the government in a bloody five-decade conflict that has killed more than 200,000.  Both are listed as terrorist organizations by the United States and European Union.