A man who had been kidnapped by rebel group FARC has been able to escape from his guerrilla captors in the south of Colombia, the army said Thursday.
According to an army press release, the 24-year old farmer was found by army personnel in the southern Caqueta department after he successfully escaped the guerrillas who were holding him.
The alleged kidnapping victim was able to find the army after fleeing from his captors who had just before killed a family member of the farmer who had been kidnapped with him, the army said.
According to the press release, the victims had been kidnapped from the southwestern Cauca department 10 days before by members of the FARC’s 49th Front.
The army unit that found the escaped FARC prisoner took him to the department capital Caqueta where he received medical attention, according to the army.
The FARC leadership banned kidnapping early last year around the time secret peace talks with the government began in Cuba.
Since then, anti-kidnapping NGO Pais Libre has accused the rebel group of failing to completely eradicate the practice from its ranks. According to the same NGO, 85% of kidnappings last year were carried out by common criminals.
FACT SHEET: Colombia kidnapping statistics
Locations of the kidnapping and rescue
Sources
- Ejército recuperó ciudadano secuestrado por las Farc (Colombian Army)
