Colombia’s prosecution “used to export cocaine,” says president
Colombia’s government coalition cracks
Colombia’s prosecution calls Uribe to testify over massacres...
Colombia’s peace commissioner replaced
Colombia registers 5 massacres in 48 hours
Colombia’s deputy chief prosecutor denies mafia links
War crimes tribunal indicts Colombia’s former army chief...
Uribe helped plan 1997 massacre, former warlord tells...
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal allows submission of former...
Colombia’s deputy chief prosecutor again linked to drug...
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
News

Soldier marks birthday after 12 years as FARC hostage

by Brett Borkan June 3, 2010
1.5K

luis alfredo moreno, kidnapping, farc

Luis Alfredo Moreno Chagueza celebrated a somber 41st birthday on Wednesday, having spent almost twelve years as a hostage to Colombian guerilla group the FARC. Moreno was kidnapped on August 3, 1998, in the southern department of Guaviare.

Freed hostage and former governor of the Meta department, Alan Jara, spoke to El Espectador on Wednesday about his time living alongside Moreno Chagueza, one of the 22 remaining hostages in FARC custody, in a jungle prison.

“He was a very quiet, introverted person … A good sketcher,” Jara remembered, explaining that the kidnapped soldier was one of the most diligent students in the “jungle school” that the hostages created to pass the time and learn new skills.

According to Jara, who was released by the FARC in 2009 after nearly eight years in captivity, he and his fellow hostages were able to “sense the pain” that Moreno Chagueza, a single father felt knowing that his son was “growing up without him.”

In April, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe pledged to liberate the remaining 22 hostages currently being held by the guerrilla group, saying, “To those who have been kidnapped, we are continuing with the task. Either they are liberated or we continue advancing until we liberate them ourselves. And any time now we will liberate them. We have never given up on the rescue.”

Following the liberation in April of Pablo Emilio Moncayo and Josue Daniel Calvo, the FARC announced that they would not carry out any more unilateral releases, and are seeking instead for a humanitarian exchange of the remaining hostages for 500 rebels imprisoned by the Colombian government.

The rebel group said that a humanitarian exchange is “the only viable way for the prisoners in the jungle and the guerrillas imprisoned in the dungeons of Colombia and the United States to return to freedom without threat to their physical integrity.”

With Uribe’s term drawing to a close, the issue of securing the release of the hostages is likely to be passed down to his successor, who will be chosen by Colombians on June 20.

The leading contender for the June 20 election, Partido de la U candidate Juan Manuel Santos ruled out the possibility of an exchange with the FARC during a presidential debate, saying that he would only accept a unilateral release, or a military rescue.

Green Party candidate Antanas Mockus also said during the debate that he would not negotiate with the FARC, and instead expressed favor for mediation by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Catholic Church to liberate the hostages.

Despite having spent nearly 12 years as a FARC prisoner, Luis Alfredo Moreno Chagueza is not the current hostage who’s spent the most time held captive in the jungle. Libio Jose Martinez Estrada, also a Colombian soldier, was kidnapped by the FARC on December 21, 1997, eight months before Moreno Chagueza, and remains in captivity.

FARCguerillahostageshumanitarian exchangekidnapping

Contribute

Trending

  • Uribe helped plan 1997 massacre, former warlord tells Colombia’s war crimes tribunal

  • Colombia registers 5 massacres in 48 hours

  • War crimes tribunal indicts Colombia’s former army chief over extrajudicial executions

For patrons

Downloads for patrons

Related articles

  • Colombia’s ELN guerrillas release Luis Diaz’s father

  • ELN kidnapped dad of soccer star Luis Diaz

  • Extradited guerrilla chief submits to Colombia’s war crimes tribunal

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Rss

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion