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An increasing number of soldiers have recently been abducted in southern Colombia. (archive picture)
Keystone
In Colombia, 72 soldiers have been kidnapped in a region controlled by guerrilla fighters, according to the army. The soldiers were abducted on Sunday afternoon in the south-western province of Cauca, as the AFP news agency learned from army sources.
The Colombian army later announced the "liberation" of 27 soldiers. They are working on freeing the remaining 45 from hostage-taking as well.
In southern Colombia, an increasing number of soldiers have recently been abducted and released unharmed after a few days. At the end of August, 33 soldiers were held there for three days. The perpetrators are mostly locals who are forced to do so by guerrilla groups. In order not to endanger civilians, the soldiers concerned usually do not resist their capture with violence.
The left-wing Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for the release of the kidnapped soldiers in the online service X. "Release the soldiers, they could be your children," he said, addressing the kidnappers.
According to the army, the kidnapping took place in the Micay region. A splinter group of the former Farc guerrillas is active there. The Farc had laid down their weapons in a peace agreement with the government in 2016. As a result, several splinter groups split off.
Many of Colombia's armed groups, which were once based on left-wing or right-wing ideologies, are now drug cartels financed by the lucrative cocaine trade. Colombia is the largest cocaine producer in the world, with a record 253,000 hectares of coca plants in 2023.
08.09.2025, 05:59
