Prez Candidate Kidnapped
Congressperson and independent presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and her campaign director, Clara Rojas, were kidnapped on Feb. 23 in Caqueta department by rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Three other people initially seized with Betancourt--including a French photographer from the magazine Marie Claire--were quickly released. The kidnapping took place at a roadblock in the zone which had previously been demilitarized for peace talks with the FARC; the zone was officially "retaken" by government forces on Feb. 21 [see Update #630]. [Clarin website (last-minute news) 2/24/02]
Having Ignored Government Warnings
Betancourt was on her way to San Vicente del Caguan via car, having ignored government warnings that it was not safe to travel through the area by land. She planned to meet with San Vicente's mayor, Nestor Leon Ramirez, who is a member of her party, Green Oxygen. Betancourt received the highest number of votes of any congressional candidate in her last election, but she has been a marginal presidential candidate, polling less than 1% in voter intention surveys for the upcoming May 26 elections. [El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 2/24/02 from AP; Miami Herald 2/24/02 from AP; CNN en Espanol 2/24/02 with info from Reuters, AP]
FARC: One-Year Deadline to Release Jailed Rebels
In comments to CNN which were broadcast on Feb. 27, FARC leader Fabian Ramirez said his organization would give the government one year to release jailed rebels in exchange for Betancourt and other politicians kidnapped by the FARC. [La Republica (Lima) 2/28/02 from AFP]
Liberal Party senator Murdered by FARC's 22nd Front
The body of Liberal Party senator Martha Catalina Daniels, her driver, Carlos Lozano, and her friend, Ana Maria Medina, were found on Mar. 2 in Zipacon municipality, Cundinamarca department. Departmental police commander Col. Alvaro Sandoval said the three were murdered by the FARC's 22nd Front as Daniels and Medina sought to negotiate the release of former congressperson Ricardo Tafur Gonzalez, kidnapped by the FARC several years ago, and Mauricio Rodriguez Anzola, Medina's husband, kidnapped by the FARC in May 2001. [CNN en Espanol 3/3/02 from AP]
From the
Weekly News Update on the Americas (ISSN 1084-922X), published by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012, 212-674-9499,
wnu@igc.org.
Rebels Kill Peace Activists
Defensoría del Pueblo
