BOGOTA, Jan. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- The recent capture of Ovidio Palmera,one of top leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), was applauded by Colombia and the United States.

    Washington applauded Colombia and Ecuador for the arrest of guerrilla ideologue Palmera, calling it "a blow to terrorism."

    Palmera, alias Simon Trinidad, one of the seven members of the ruling secretariat of the 17,000-member Revolutionary Armed Forcesof Colombia (FARC), was captured late Friday in the Ecuadorian capital of Quito and swiftly extradited to Colombia. He is being treated in the Ecuadorian capital Quito for a flesh-eating, insect-borne disease.

    "We congratulate the Ecuadorian police for its extraordinary performance in this case and the high level of professionalism it has shown by undertaking such a delicate operation," said J. Adam Ereli, the spokesman of the US State Department.

    The US Senate Majority Leader William H. Frist said the arrest of Trinidad was a forceful blow to narco-terrorism.

    He told Defense Minister of Colombia Jorge Uribe that the United States will continue its support in combating drug trafficking, which he called the principal source of guerrilla financing.

    In Colombia, the government of President Alvaro Uribe, the military, the political sectors and political analysts have applauded the capture of Trinidad as the most serious blow to the FARC in nearly four decades of armed conflict.

    "It is the most important capture of a FARC member ever," said one political analyst. He said the capture could even bring new life to the government of Uribe, after the failure of the referendum against corruption, in which 14 out of 15 points were rejected.

    Since taking office in 2002, Uribe has adopted a tough policy toward rebel groups in a bid to put an early end to the country's four-decade civil war, the longest in Latin America.

    Nonetheless, the military strategy of Uribe was described as inefficient for several months as it could not locate the whereabouts of the FARC leadership.

    The capture of Trinidad opens the possibility of new arrests, like that of Manuel Marulanda, alias Tirofijo, and Jorbe Briceno, alias Mono Jojoy, the military leaders of the FARC.

    President Uribe has applauded the arrest of Trinidad as evidence that the country's leftist rebels can be defeated on the battlefield.

    He also highlighted the cooperation between Ecuador and Colombia in arresting one of the FARC leaders.

    Describing the capture as a "successful model" of cooperation by the forces of Colombia and Ecuador in combating terrorism, Gen.Martin Orlando Carreno, the Colombian army chief, said the army will continue to cooperate with neighboring countries in arrestingleaders of anti-government rebels at large abroad.

    Some politicians said this capture does not represent the end of the conflict, but they admitted it was a really heavy psychological blow to the FARC.

    Observers warn that the FARC may take revenge for Trinidad's capture by kidnapping more high-profile Colombians, and possibly foreigners, as well as launching more attacks against citizens. The Colombian army vowed to foil any retaliation by the FARC.

    Trinidad's arrest was just the first step toward restoring peace in the country, said President Uribe. He said, "With perseverance and patience, the work will continue until terrorism in Colombia is totally dismantled." Enditem