Authorities started a major manhunt in the south of Colombia to find the governor of the Caqueta department who was kidnapped from his home on Monday evening. The national government offered a US$500,000 reward for information leading to the rescue of the politician.
According to Defense Minister Gabriel Silva, the army has 300 troops looking for the kidnapped governor in the area around department capital Florencia.
Silva told press on Tuesday morning that the kidnapping seems to be the work of the FARC‘s mobile Teofilio Forero column and that it seems the guerrillas want to show their strength.
“This illustrates how narco-terrorists are looking to show their strength and how they want to disturb democracy, but the state is ready to confront them,” Silva said.
The governor was kidnapped from his home in the heart of Florencia on Monday evening. The attack, carried out by ten heavily armed men, cost the life of one policeman who was part of the governor’s security ring.
So far, none of the country’s armed group have claimed responsibility for the country’s highest-profile kidnapping since 2002.