Guerilla group ELN denied involvement in the 2004 disappearance of the daughter of one of Colombia’s presidential candidates.
The runner-up in the May 29 first round of elections, Rodolfo Hernandez, mentioned the kidnapping of his adopted daughter several times during the campaign.
According to the liberal demagogue, his daughter Juliana disappeared in 2004 while traveling to the rebel-controlled Catatumbo region in northwest Colombia.
Hernandez has said that he presumed she was killed by the ELN for refusing to pay the ransom demanded for his daughter’s release by the alleged guerrillas.
ELN denies kidnapping and extortion
Rodolfo Hernandez
In a press statement, the ELN denied kidnapping the daughter of the businessman-turned-politician and extorting him.
It is false that she had disappeared or died in the hands of the ELN; we never communicated with Rodolfo Hernandez to ask for money for her release because she was not with us, nor did we have any information about it.
ELN
The guerrillas made the claim “after making the necessary inquiries,” presumably with the guerrilla commanders who were active in Catatumbo at the time of the disappearance.
Hernandez’s daughter disappeared when multiple illegal armed groups were active in the war-torn region.
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Illegal armed groups active in Catatumbo in 2004
- FARC
- ELN
- EPL
- AUC
The presidential candidate has insisted on multiple occasions that people claiming to be members of the ELN began demanding $2 million (COP7.5 billion) ransom after his daughter disappeared.
Hernandez did not immediately respond to the guerrillas’ claim.
Kidnapping during the conflict
The kidnapping of civilians has been one of the most traumatizing crimes committed during Colombia’s armed conflict.
Both participants in the armed conflict and common criminals were involved in this practice that victimized tens of thousands of families.
According to the Pais Libre foundation, the ELN presumably kidnapped 1,363 people between 2003 and 2012, which is almost 20% of all kidnappings registered by the NGO in those years.
Presumed kidnappers (2003 – 2012)
According to the National Center for Historical Memory, authorities were only able to determine the perpetrators of kidnappings in 23% of the kidnappings between 1970 and 2010.
