A former hostage of Colombia’s largest guerrilla group FARC has prevented the release of a film, centered on her story, in her native Colombia, reported media reports.
Colombian news outlet CMI reported that the lawyer and former politician Clara Rojas denied the marketing and distribution of the film in Colombia as she believes it is not a fair reflection of what happened.
Rojas spent six years held captive by FARC during which time she entered a relationship with one of the guerrilla’s and gave birth to boy.
The story goes that Rojas gave her child up to the care of a local farmer, but when the child became ill the farmer was forced to leave him with a local hospital that, at the time, had no knowledge of the child’s identity or history.
Rojas was eventually released by FARC, along with other hostages, in an operation devised by Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. Rojas was eventually reunited with her son, Emmanuel, after two years of separation.
The film, named “operation E” after the name of the original operation planned by Chavez and supported by the Red Cross known as “operation Emmanuel”, premiered in Spain on December 5 and was scheduled for release March 2013. Rojas however deemed it an “outrage” as it “distorts the truth.”
Producers of the film admitted Rojas had the right to force the company to “refrain from transmitting, distributing and promoting the film in Colombia.”
The Spanish production company claimed the former politician, who was also once in the running for vice-presidency, issued the court order “without hearing the defendant and without even seeing the film, only by virtue of the allegations.”
The company also claims the film is inspired by the whole episode “and not about Ms. Rojas,” and that “although some facts are recounted in which her son was part of,” many other characters were included. Its legal adviser, Marisa Castelo, noted that, in relation to Rojas’ claims the film does “no harm to any child’s rights.”
Castelo went on to state that Rojas’ motives were to “perhaps prevent all Colombian’s enjoying a movie dedicated to the victims of the armed conflict in Colombia and attempt to obscure the figure of [the farmer who took care of Rojas’ child], who was released without charge after four years in prison.”
“Operacion E” official trailer available here.
