"These men are on-the-run terrorists," said Peter Robinson, deputy leader of the Democratic Unionists, Northern Ireland's largest party.
But Gerry Adams, leader of the IRA-linked Sinn Fein party, welcomed the men's return to Ireland as "a great relief" and said he hoped "they can now get on with their lives."
Santos insisted that the Northern Ireland peace process should not be allowed to impede the men's extradition. Ahern "must demonstrate his country's commitment to the global fight against terrorism," Santos said.
Monaghan and McCauley were previously convicted of possessing weapons or explosives in the Irish Republic, and McCauley was wounded by police at an IRA weapons dump 22 years ago.
In the streets of Bogota, residents expressed outrage that the Irishmen were able to disappear in the first place.
"I just don't understand how the police let them get away, they should have been following them all the time," said Marcela Lopez, an accountant heading home from work. "The Irish authorities will never send them back to Colombia, that's for sure," she added.
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