The smaller of Colombia’s left wing rebel groups, the ELN, has kidnapped a police officer in the northwest, local media reported on Wednesday.
The officer, Diego Felipe Gutierrez, was last seen in Saravena, Arauca on Saturday before a taxi carrying several suspected ELN members drove to the building he had been in and took him away.
The news comes less than a week after Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced his support for the ELN’s decision to release their Canadian hostage, Jernoc Wobert.
Celebramos y valoramos la liberación del ciudadano canadiense de manos del ELN. Con esta liberación se da un paso en la dirección correcta.
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) August 27, 2013
Santos has previously said that the ELN will not be invited to take part in peace talks while they still practice kidnappings.
MORE: ELN must release all hostages before peace can be discussed: Santos
Police have offered $10 thousand for information on the police man’s capture that will lead to his eventual release.
Saravena, Arauca
Sources
