The signal came in a video turned over by the rebels to the controversial leftist Sen. Piedad Cordoba with a message from the young soldier asking Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to accept the conditions set forth by the rebels for his release. Mr. Moncayo did not realize at first that the man on the video was actually the boy who was taken from his home when he was only 19 years of age. "I never imagined that the person on the screen was Pablo Emilio," he said. "When I heard his voice, I realized it was my son."

A few months back, the FARC announced that it had unilaterally decided to release Moncayo, as requested by Sen. Cordoba, a local human-rights group, Presidents Rafael Correa of Ecuador and Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, and the corporal's father. They also would release hostage Jose Daniel Calvo. But the government and rebel negotiators could not agree upon the conditions, which included having Sen. Cordoba as part of the negotiating team.

The Colombian government rejected the request at first, saying it didn't want to turn the release of the hostages into a media spectacle and that the military would continue its efforts to liberate Moncayo as well as the other hostages held in captivity throughout the country. However, President Uribe finally bowed under pressure and allowed Sen. Cordoba to be integrated into the mediation group.

The Moncayo family drama has the entire country on edge, and has been followed closely by neighboring countries. The young corporal has become a symbol of the battle against kidnappings all around the world. According to the Catholic Church and the Red Cross in Colombia — both of which help negotiate the release of hostages — there are more than 700 people held in captivity by different armed groups in the country. Among those hostages, there are 24 who are considered barter material. The guerrilla group has been proposing to release them in exchange for the release of rebels held by the government. Cpl. Moncayo is among them.

If and when it happens, television cameras surely will be ready to capture the moment of the family's reunification. It won't be the first, and hopefully not the last. The FARC has, in the past, freed hostages when it suits the group well, and when it happens there are plenty of heroes ready to take the credit for political gain. But only those who have experienced firsthand the pain of having a loved one held hostage and the frustration of not being able do anything about it truly can appreciate the heroic efforts of a father to end the misery of a family torn apart.