FARC Release some, then Take some

ConorC says on Jan 15, 2008, 03:18:

Is it normal for the FARC to rob people (as mentioned in the story)? I remember that the IRA in Northern Ireland never did anything like this (supposedly) so as to prevent it's image from being tarnished by petty criminals and to keep more as a political organisation.

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Peter (Moderator) says on Jan 15, 2008, 03:20:

I understand the 6 were taken in Nuqui but released again, but I'm not 100% sure.

Poor but snappy

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bickerss says on Jan 15, 2008, 03:31:

BBC news still says they have been taken, nothing about a release (TV News). Will be interesting to see what happens.

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panthdave says on Jan 15, 2008, 04:05:

Well the Farc is still active.. and alive...

panthdave Miami

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Chelesupercono says on Jan 15, 2008, 05:53:

Good advice GIB.......at least that way you can meet your "compadre" face to face and maybe divide the budget accordingly.....ha ha.......

never go to bed with someone crazier then you are, you will do it and you will regret it.......

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gabolicious says on Jan 15, 2008, 05:57:

vamos... de reversa...

"The new land of opportunities: Colombia!" ----- Mr Miguel_Clavo on PBH

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KyleHanky says on Jan 15, 2008, 07:03:

The FARC kidnapped 6 people in Niqui, in the Choco. 5 were Colombian and 1 was a Norwegian who happens to be a professor at the University of the Andes, from what I have read. El Tiempo has an article and I'm pretty sure that El Espectador does as well.

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KyleHanky says on Jan 15, 2008, 07:06:

I do not think that someone delivered them to the FARC. Niqui is very far out of the way, and it is not a huge touristy area. Also, they were kidnapped on the outskirts of Niqui on a beach. From the people I know who have gone there, it is basically all jungle with little no state presence and the military presence is always moving and/or inconsistent. Thus, it is quite easily for 10 FARC guys to make it to the beach. This is the Choco after all. Other people I know that work out there with NGOs tell me that the FARC still control some of the rivers in the department, and that the Army has just taken control of some others. Many others are still contested.

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bickerss says on Jan 15, 2008, 07:30:

I will be interested to see what affect this has on tourism - if it will stop people going to Colombia as a whole; given that it is in a way out the the normal area for most tourists.

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droble77 says on Jan 15, 2008, 10:23:

Bahia Solano is about 125 miles west of Medellin. Yowsers. . . cross that cordillera occidental towards Quibdó and it looks like you're heading into sketchy territory. . .

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droble77 says on Jan 15, 2008, 11:05:

I just wanted to add a few more comments:

of the six kidnapped, ONLY ONE of them was NOT a Colombian (actually he's half Colombian by birth but without Colombian citizenship), and none of the victims appear to be the stereotypical "touron" that certain posters here regularly disparage and resent. . .

Maybe there was trouble with the boat, maybe it was foul play as GIB suggests, but coming ashore AT DUSK in an area that was probably isolated sounds like a really bad idea, "dar papaya" big time! :(

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 15, 2008, 11:30:

Different stories put the location of the encounter in different places. I think it was AFP or Reuters that said they were actually motoring up a river, not just on the beach. Now, those rivers are a superhighway of contraband and it would be entirely possible to accidentally run into a boatload of FARC somehow.

Of course, AP has them being kidnapped off an island.

I'd say anything is possible, from them being sold out by someone on the crew to a chance encounter gone bad.

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Mr. Hollywood says on Jan 15, 2008, 11:35:

Yep, that could be, too. I'm guessing that tour company ran regular trips there on a regular schedule. And maybe someone was unhappy with their Christmas protection payment being late or something like that.

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Sanam says on Jan 15, 2008, 13:12:

Hello all--I was planning on doing the trek to Cuidad Perdita beginning of February but a Colombian friend suggested that it may not be safe--do you all have any views on this? I will be traveling with another female so don't know if thats something to consider as well.

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durito says on Jan 15, 2008, 14:16:

There seems to be a lot of misinformation in this thread.

One of the kidnapping victims owned a hotel in Nuquia. I'm guessing he was then fairly familiar with the security situation. The area around there has apparently been quiet for a while, but used to have a huge FARC presence and they are still there in the jungle in the Choco between the beach and Medellin.

The pictures of the half Colombian/half Norwiegen in El Tiempo don't make him look like an obvious foreigner and he works at the University de los Andes. This area has had an increasing amount of tourism in recent years (mostly Colombians) and there are people buying and building second homes in the area. I've been there and people I talked to in town said the FARC hadn't been around for years.

Nevertheless, the entire Choco department has had serious issues with FARC for quite sometime and just because they haven't been around somewhere for a while doesn't guarantee your safety. There's a military presence along the coast there now, but this just shows if they want to kidnap you they can -- from just about anywhere.

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