The Spanish fishing vessel “Alakrana” has been released from the pirates who captured it on October 2.The Prime Minister,Zapatero,announced the turnabout yesterday.
There have been delicate negotiations going on for a long time and the families of these fishermen ,who are from the north of Spain ,have been demonstrating for the release of the men.
The negotiationa have been complicated by the fact that two of the pirates were captured by a Spanish navel boat which is working with an international scheme to protect boats in the area.The two Somali pirates are in prison in Madrid and the pirates were using them as a negotiating tool .They wanted their release for the release of the boat.They also wanted more than 2 million euros in cash.
It isn’t yet known just what sort of package the Spanish government has used to secure the release of the boat ,however the fishing boat is now negotiating its way into safer waters and home to Spain.
