Colombia's military says 57 soldiers have been kidnapped by civilians in the country's south-western Micay Canyon area. It says 31 soldiers were seized on Saturday while the rest were abducted on Sunday by a group of more than 200 people. The military says the civilians are acting under pressure from dissidents of the Farc rebel group which agreed a peace deal with the government in 2016. The mountainous region is a key zone for cocaine production and remains one of the most tense in the country's ongoing conflict with rebel groups. In a video statement on social media, Brig Gen Federico Alberto Mejia said four non-commissioned officers and 53 soldiers had been seized over the weekend. "This is called kidnapping," he said. Reports in local media suggest that the EMC rebel group - the largest offshoot of the Farc - may have ordered the kidnappings. The EMC has not commented on the issue. The Micay Canyon is used for transporting cocaine to Pacific ports, and drugs are then illegally shipped to other countries.
Dozens of soldiers seized in Colombian mountains
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"Colombian military reports kidnapping of 57 soldiers in Micay Canyon"
Bbc News
7.7
TruthLens AI Summary
In a troubling development in Colombia, the military has reported that 57 soldiers were kidnapped by civilians in the Micay Canyon region, a hotspot for cocaine production and a critical area in the ongoing conflict with rebel groups. The abductions occurred over the weekend, with 31 soldiers taken on Saturday and the remainder on Sunday, all perpetrated by a group exceeding 200 individuals. According to military officials, these civilians are believed to be acting under duress from dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), which had previously entered into a peace agreement with the government in 2016. Brigadier General Federico Alberto Mejia confirmed the incident in a video statement on social media, labeling the actions as outright kidnapping and specifying that four non-commissioned officers and 53 soldiers were among those seized.
The Micay Canyon region is not only known for its rugged terrain but also for its strategic importance in drug trafficking, particularly cocaine that is transported to Pacific ports for illegal export. Local media reports suggest that the kidnappings may have been orchestrated by the EMC rebel group, the largest faction that has emerged from the original Farc, although the EMC has yet to release a statement regarding the incidents. The situation underscores the ongoing challenges Colombia faces in stabilizing areas that are still heavily influenced by armed groups, despite the peace deal established years ago. The military's response and subsequent actions will be critical in addressing both the immediate crisis of the kidnappings and the broader implications for security and drug trafficking in the region.
TruthLens AI Analysis
You need to be a member to generate the AI analysis for this article.
Log In to Generate AnalysisNot a member yet? Register for free.