The mayor of the northeast Colombian town of Fortul said Sunday he has had contact with the kidnappers of his daughter.
The 10-year-old girl was kidnapped from her school on Thursday.
According to Mayor Jorge Enrique Muñoz, he received a call from the kidnappers and is feeling more secure about the girl’s safety.
“I am much calmer now that the uncertainty has gone … We know now who has her. At the moment I am not authorized to give information to the public, only to say that we have had first contact and that the girl is fine,” Muñoz told reporters.
The kidnapping caused a wave of indignation in Colombia, whose government offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the kidnappers. Schoolmates of the kidnapped Nohora Valentina took to the streets to protest the kidnapping of the girl.
The Arauca department, on the border with Venezuela, has a strong presence of guerrilla groups like the FARC and ELN.
