Weekly News Update on the Americas Issue #488 | June 6 1999 Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York CSN Home | WNU Home | This Month's News

8. COLOMBIA: SENATOR FREED, CHURCH KIDNAPPING, CAMPESINOS FLEE

Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba was freed unharmed on June 4 in the municipality of Necocli, Antioquia department, by the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the rightwing paramilitary group which had abducted her on May 21 in Medellin [see Update #486]. Cordoba immediately offered to serve as a mediator between the government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), to obtain the release of dozens of worshippers the ELN kidnapped from a church mass in Cali on May 30. "From here [I want] to ask the National Liberation Army to free the people they have kidnapped," said Cordoba in her first comments to Caracol television after being released. [CNN en Espanol 6/4/99 with info from AP] Cordoba also stated that the paramilitaries have a genuine interest in peace. "The country has to consider this other actor in the conflict," said Cordoba, referring to the paramilitaries. [El Nuevo Herald 6/5/99 from AP]

Gen. Jaime Canal, commander of the Army's Third Brigade, said that the ELN worked together with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to kidnap the 143 worshippers from the church. [El Universal (Caracas) 6/4/99] Shortly after the kidnapping, 79 of the victims were released as the rebels tried to evade pursuit by army and police troops. Cali mayor Ricardo Cobo told Agence France Presse that the captives included "persons that are very influential in our society," without identifying them. The kidnapping has been widely condemned both inside Colombia and by the international community.

The ELN continues to hold 25 of the 46 passengers its troops abducted from a small passenger plan hijacked on Apr. 12 in northern Colombia [see Update #484]. The rebels said the hijacking was aimed at pressuring the government into initiating a dialogue with the group, as it has with the FARC. The ELN is demanding a demilitarized zone similar to the area accorded to FARC rebels as a precondition for peace talks. President Andres Pastrana Arango has so far rejected the ELN's demand, and the kidnapping of the churchgoers only appeared to irritate him further. Speaking to Colombian reporters accompanying him on a visit to Canada, Pastrana called the mass abduction of the churchgoers an "act of war" by the ELN. [AFP 5/31/99] The ELN freed five of the hostage churchgoers on June 5 for "humanitarian" reasons; it continued to hold 54 others. [ENH 6/6/99 from Reuters]

Meanwhile, Pastrana signed a decree on June 6 extending the FARC's control of the southern demilitarized zone for six months, from June 7 until Dec. 7. An announcement by peace negotiator Victor Ricardo that the zone would be extended for an indefinite period had provoked the resignation of the country's defense minister [see Update #487]. [ENH 6/6/99 from Reuters]

Meanwhile, some 2,000 Colombian campesinos fleeing paramilitary violence crossed the border into Venezuela from June 3 to 5. Venezuela classified the group as refugees and negotiated with Colombia to return them to the Colombian town of Puerto Santander. [ENH 6/6/99 from AFP; EU 6/4/99, 6/5/99]