The Ombudsman’s Office published the list of the 91 kidnapped people in the country and requested their immediate release

2023-12-11 17:57:25

The Ombudsman’s Office published an extensive statement with the names and municipalities of origin of the 91 kidnapped people throughout the country according to its records and complaints from local authorities and relatives.

All of them, according to the entity, would be in charge of the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army, ELN, or the FARC dissidents, so they asked both armed groups to “specify which people each one has” and release them. immediately.

In context: Kidnapping, in all its forms, increased by 88% throughout Antioquia

“(…) We turn to you to express our concern about the increase, in the last year, in the kidnapping of people, especially in areas where the GAOs ELN and FD-FARC/EMC have influence and operation. Kidnapping is one of the most atrocious and repressive practices that violates International Humanitarian Law (prohibition of taking civilian hostages) as well as the human rights to integrity and freedom not only of the direct victims, but also of their families and the social environment that surrounds them,” stated the Ombudsman’s Office.

The list includes the full name, municipality and department in which the events occurred and the date of the kidnapping.

Among the names, for example, appears Evangelistas Bohórquez Contreras, who appears as kidnapped since May 19, 2020.

Read also: The other 32 ELN kidnappings since the start of the talks

But, in addition to the list, the Ombudsman’s Office also took the opportunity to condemn kidnapping by groups seeking peace and ask the Government to put limits on this crime.

“It is a practice that cannot be accepted by the Colombian State against those groups that seek to obtain benefits in the search for Peace, whose immediate cessation should be an unbreakable condition for dialogue,” the entity stated.

Regarding the latter, it is worth remembering that both armed groups, both the ELN and the EMC dissidents, have been in peace talks with the government of President Gustavo Petro, so their kidnappings send a message contrary to that search for peace. peace.

Arauca, Norte de Santander, Valle del Cauca, Antioquia, Cesar, Chocó and Cauca are the departments where the most people have been kidnapped according to reports from the entity. They are followed by La Guajira, Nariño and Meta.

“We call on the negotiating tables to predominantly address the identification of the people they have in their power, as well as their immediate release,” said national defender Carlos Camargo.