Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis
Encyclopedia
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, on April 12, 2002 by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army is a Marxist–Leninist revolutionary guerrilla organization based in Colombia which is involved in the ongoing Colombian armed conflict, currently involved in drug dealing and crimes against the civilians..FARC-EP is a peasant army which...
(FARC) to pressure a prisoner exhange between them and the government and to negotiate the demilitarization of the municipalities
Municipalities of Colombia
The Municipalities of Colombia are decentralized subdivisions of the Republic of Colombia. Municipalities make up most of the departments of Colombia with 1,119 municipalities...
of Florida
Florida, Valle del Cauca
Florida is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.Its first inhabitants: indigenous peoples, mestizos, afro-Latinos and mulattos, established a new and vibrant home to a mix of the many cultures existent in the South-Eastern region of Valle del Cauca...
and Pradera
Pradera
Pradera is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.The FARC requested this municipality together with Florida, Valle del Cauca as free areas for them to operate in order to start the negotiation to exchange 44 hostages they had, at the time of their request,...
to initiate peace dialogues.
After a series of "proof of life" videos, on June 28, 2007 the FARC suddenly reported the death of 11 of the 12 kidnapped provincial deputies from Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca Department
Valle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
. The Colombian government
Government of Colombia
The government of Colombiais a republic with separation of powers into executive, judicial and legislative branches.Its legislature has a congress,its judiciary has a supreme court, andits executive branch has a president....
accused the FARC of executing the hostages and stated that government forces had not made any rescue attempts. FARC claimed that the deaths occurred during a crossfire, after an attack to one of its camps by an "unidentified military group". FARC did not report any other casualties on either side.
When Sigifredo Lopez, the only surviving deputy, was released on February 5, 2009, he confirmed that his colleagues were killed when the FARC mistook approaching colleagues for Colombian Army troops. He managed to survive because he was separated from his colleagues at the time as punishment for arguing with a guard.
FARC stated that their organization was willing to return the bodies to their families. The International Committee of the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
was allowed to intervene by the guerrillas and the Colombian government. The efforts of the Red Cross recovery team were delayed due to difficult weather and terrain conditions upon arriving to the pick up area on September 5, 2007. The Colombian newspaper El Espectador
El Espectador
El Espectador is a newspaper with national circulation within Colombia, founded by Fidel Cano Gutiérrez on 22 March 1887 in Medellín and published since 1915 in Bogotá...
speculated that the FARC also intended to give up the body of an alleged mercenary of the "unidentified military group" to prove their claims about an attack by such forces. On September 9, the ICRC announced that it had recovered 11 bodies and flew them to the city of Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
.
Kidnapping operation
The FARC trained its guerrillas to act and dress as the military of Colombia to mislead civilians, politicians and members of the policeColombian National Police
The National Police of Colombia is the national police force of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military of Colombia , it constitutes along with them the "Public Force" and is also controlled by the Ministry of Defense. They are the largest police force in Colombia...
. On April 11, 2002, the FARC mobilized its guerrillas to the Valle del Cauca Department Assembly in Cali
Calì
Calì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
riding in a bus and a truck. At 10:45 AM the guerrilla commando stormed the building dressed up as members of the Armed Forces of Colombia and alerting people in the building that there was a bomb threat.
The FARC ordered the 12 deputies out of the building and board the bus, while other guerrillas stabbed with knives members of the Colombian National Police who noted the false operation. One of the policemen died as a consequence of the stabbing. While on the road the 12 deputies were then informed that they had been kidnapped by the FARC to serve as aces in a possible prisoner exchange with the government.
Hostages
2002
April 11: The elite unit of the FARC "Mobile Column Arturo Ruiz" kidnapped 12 deputies in Cali from the Building of the Valle del Cauca Department Assembly.August 28: The FARC released the first evidence that the hostages were still alive.
November 15: After three months in office, President Álvaro Uribe
Álvaro Uribe
Alvaro Uribe Vélez was the 58th President of Colombia, from 2002 to 2010. In August 2010 he was appointed Vice-chairman of the UN panel investigating the Gaza flotilla raid....
proposed freeing and sending captured guerrillas overseas if they released all hostages.
December 3: FARC asked the government to demilitarize 115,000 km² in the Departments
Departments of Colombia
Colombia is an unitary republic formed by thirty-two departments and a Capital District . Each department has a Governor and a Department Assembly , elected by popular vote for a four-year period. The governor cannot be re-elected in consecutive periods...
of Putumayo
Putumayo Department
Putumayo is a department of Colombia. It is in the south-west of the country, bordering Ecuador and Peru. Its capital is Mocoa.The word putumayo comes from the Quechua language. The verb putuy means "to spring forth" or "to burst out", and mayo is a variant of mayu, meaning river...
and Caqueta to negotiate an exchange of prisoners.
December 27: FARC showed second survival video proof.
2003
April 28: FARC designated commanders Fabián RamírezFabián Ramírez
Jose Benito Cabrera Cuevas also known as Fabian Ramirez is a Colombian guerrilla leader and member of the higher command of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ....
, Carlos Antonio Lozada
Carlos Antonio Lozada
Luis Antonio Losada Gallo aka Carlos Antonio Lozada is a Colombian guerrilla member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia presumed commander of the Urban Commandos of the FARC-EP known as the Red Urbana Antonio Nariño...
and Felipe Rincón as negotiators for a prisoner exchange.
2004
January 24: FARC released a third video of the hostages.July 23: Uribe offered to free 50 guerrilla combatants so that FARC would free the hostages. The initiative is supported by the French
Government of France
The government of the French Republic is a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic"...
and Swiss governments.
September 14: FARC changed its proposal suggesting this time to demilitarize the municipalities of Cartagena del Chairá
Cartagena del Chairá
Cartagena del Chairá is a town and municipality in the Colombian Department of Caquetá. The town gained notoriety during the failed FARC-Government peace process between the Government of Colombia and the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia which still maintains operations and...
and San Vicente del Caguán
San Vicente del Caguán
San Vicente del Caguán is a town and municipality in Caquetá Department, Colombia.Between 1998 and 2002, San Vicente del Caguán was the center of the demilitarized zone , which was created as a safe haven for the FARC. Two days after the peace talks were ended, Ingrid Betancourt was kidnapped while...
, in Caquetá Department.
October 25: FARC released a fourth video of the hostages, most of it with messages for family members.
2005
December 13: The governments of France, Spain and Switzerland proposed both FARC and government of Colombia the demilitarization of 180 km² in the corregimientoCorregimiento
Corregimiento is a term used in Colombia to define a subdivision of Colombian departments. According to the Colombian Constitution of 1991 and Decree 2274 of October 4, 1991, Corregimiento is an internal part of a Department or province, which includes a population core...
of El Retiro, municipality of Florida
Florida, Valle del Cauca
Florida is a town and municipality located in the Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia.Its first inhabitants: indigenous peoples, mestizos, afro-Latinos and mulattos, established a new and vibrant home to a mix of the many cultures existent in the South-Eastern region of Valle del Cauca...
to negotiate the prisoner exchange
December 15: Uribe accepted the offer made by Spain, France and Switzerland.
2006
January 2: FARC exclaimed that a prisoner exchange with the Uribe administration would be "very difficult".January 26: Foreign Minister
Minister of Foreign Affairs (France)
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs ), is France's foreign affairs ministry, with the headquarters located on the Quai d'Orsay in Paris close to the National Assembly of France. The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs in the government of France is the cabinet minister responsible for...
of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Philippe Douste-Blazy
Philippe Douste-Blazy
Philippe Douste-Blazy is a French centre-right politician. He served as Minister for Health , Minister of Culture and Foreign Minister in the cabinet of Dominique de Villepin .Douste-Blazy is also a cardiologist and Christian Democrat politician from Lourdes...
met with the Colombian government in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
to explore different ways to achieve the prisoner exchange.http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/pays-zones-geo_833/colombie_498/france-colombie_1125/visites_8446/visite-m.-douste-blazy-colombie-26.01.06_28879.html
October 19 and October 20: A car bomb
Car bomb
A car bomb, or truck bomb also known as a Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device , is an improvised explosive device placed in a car or other vehicle and then detonated. It is commonly used as a weapon of assassination, terrorism, or guerrilla warfare, to kill the occupants of the vehicle,...
exploded in a military installation causing no casualties. Uribe blamed the FARC and cancelled the offer to negotiate the exchange of guerrilla inmates for the hostages. Uribe then ordered a military operation to rescue the hostages.http://hispanopolis.com/noticias/index.php/Uribe_acusa_a_las_FARC_de_carro_bomba_en_Bogot%C3%A1_y_ordena_rescate_militar_de_secuestradoshttp://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/index.php?p=201
2007
April 27: FARC released a fifth video of the hostages and the last one showing 11 of them alive. In the video the hostages asked Uribe for the demilitarization of Florida and Pradera municipalities.http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_6602000/6602523.stmMay 25: Uribe announced a massive freedom of guerrilla inmates alleging "Reasons of State" including the notorious "FARC guerrilla chancellor" Rodrigo Granda
Rodrigo Granda
Ricardo González also known as Rodrigo Granda is a Colombian Venezuelan member of Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia . He serves as international spokesman of the guerrilla organization.-Arrest in Venezuela:...
. On June 4 it became known that the liberation of Granda was agreed upon a petition by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
.http://www.hoy.es/prensa/20070605/internacional/uribe-libera-granda-canciller_20070605.html
June 28: FARC announced the death of 11 of the 12 deputies in a "crossfire" with unknown forces. The only hostage survivor was deputy Sigifredo López
Sigifredo López
Sigifredo López Tobón is a lawyer and politician. While deputy in the administrative department of Valle del Cauca he was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in 2002...
who for security reasons was traveling with another group of guerrillas.http://mexico.notiemail.com/noticia.asp?nt=11258641&cty=4
September 9: The Red Cross announced, after arriving in an undisclosed area using co-ordinates provided by FARC, that it had recovered 11 bodies and was returning them by helicopter to the city of Cali for identification and forensic procedures.
Execution "was a mistake"
According to email conversations between guerrillas, found on computers of deceased FARC-commander Raúl ReyesRaúl Reyes
Luis Edgar Devia Silva , better known by his nom de guerre Raúl Reyes, was a Secretariat member, spokesperson, and advisor to the Southern Bloc of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-EP...
and quoted by several Colombian media, the murder of eleven of the abductees was "a mistake". According to one e-mail, the guards of the hostages executed the deputies when they mistook approaching fellow FARC-rebels for rebels of the National Liberation Army
National Liberation Army
National Liberation Army is the name of several groups:* Albanian National Liberation Army, an Albanian resistance movement during World War II* Armée de Libération Nationale, a liberation movement in the Algerian War of Independence...
(ELN). "A big mistake that will cause us a lot of trouble," the e-mail says. FARC-commander 'Alfonso Cano
Alfonso Cano
Guillermo León Sáenz Vargas , more commonly known by his nom de guerre Alfonso Cano was the commander of the militant group known as Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia...
' then allegedly ordered his troops to draw attention of military forces, so "the enemy" could be blamed for the killings.
Deserter's testimony
On December 25, 2007 a female deserter from the FARC who was at one point guarding the hostages along with nine other guerrillas. Her mission in late 2005 consisted on guarding three of the hostages until they were relieved by commander 'Ezequiel', from the 'Daniel Aldana' guerrilla column.Alleged involvement drugs trafficker
Colombian television station RCNRCN TV
RCN Televisión , is a Colombian private television network. It started as a production company in 1967...
reported on May 21, 2008, the whole kidnapping operation was masterminded and financed by drug trafficker Wilson Figueroa Ordóñez, alias 'W'. The country's prosecution would be investigating Ordóñez' 2 billion peso payment to the FARC to finance the kidnapping. Sources within the General Attorney's Office denied the story to Colombian newspaper El País.
Liberation of Sigifredo Lopez
On December 21, 2008, The FARC announced that they would release Sigifredo Lopez and five other political hostages to Piedad Cordoba as a humanitarian gesture.http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSN21462032 On February 5, 2009, Sigifredo Lopez was released. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gWbfNgB4cU_Ot9C2KIyRIXSPG-dgD965PO280After his release, Sigifredo López accused the guerrilla group of killing the 11 captives and denied that any military rescue attempt had taken place. According to López, the unexpected arrival of another guerrilla unit resulted in confusion and paranoia, leading the rebels to kill the rest of the deputies. He survived because he had been punished for "insubordination" and was held in chains nearby but separated from the rest of the group.
External links
El Pais: Videos and PIctures of the 12 former deputies of Valle del Cuaca El PaisEl País (Cali)
El País is the leading newspaper company in the Pacific region of Colombia. Its headquarters are located in Cali. The corporation is owned by the Lloreda family of Cali which happens to be one of the most traditional families of the Pacific region of Colombia.El País is part of Periódicos...
Video of the FARC kidnapping the 12 deputies of Valle del Cauca Department