Colombia Rebels Blow Prison Gate, Free 68 Inmates
BOGOTA, Colombia (Reuters) - Marxist rebels blew open the front gates of a prison in southwestern Colombia, allowing 68 inmates -- most of them guerrilla comrades -- to sprint to freedom, in the biggest prison break this year, police said on Tuesday.
Colombia's oldest and largest guerrilla force, the FARC, was blamed for the dynamite attack late Monday on the Caloto compound, surrounded by mountains in the province of Cauca.
The guerrillas, who frequently stage attacks to free their sympathizers, have helped 54 inmates escape this year in two separate assaults on Colombian prisons.
The FARC, or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, blew up a prison wall in southern Colombia in April, to free 35 prisoners. Rebels liberated another 19 when they assaulted a mountain jail in February.
The Colombian government is trying to negotiate the release of a number of sick FARC rebels in return for the freedom of police and military personnel held by the guerrillas. But the plan is bitterly opposed by the army, which fears the FARC simply want to recover key personnel.
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