Colombia: Increase in politically motivated kidnappings

Event

There has been a reported increase in politically motivated kidnappings in recent weeks. The National Liberation Army (ELN) briefly kidnapped eight people in Nóvita on Sunday, May 7, before releasing them on Tuesday, May 9. President Juan Manuel Santos said that the hostages were released due to pressure from security forces, but offered no further details.

On Thursday, May 4, a dissident Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group kidnapped a Colombian United Nations official in Barranquillita that was working on an illegal crop substitution program. FARC officials have called for the dissident group to release the UN official, saying that such incidents damage progress made following a peace agreement signed in November 2016. The kidnapping coincides with a group of UN Security Council ambassadors visiting Colombia this week to signal their support for the peace agreement and the complete disarmament of the FARC by June 1, 2017.

Context

The ELN relies on kidnappings to help finance their operations. The government has stated that such abductions hurt negotiations between the ELN and Colombian government, which began on February 7 in Quito, Ecuador. Another round of negotiations is scheduled to start in Ecuador next week.

With some 1500 fighters, the ELN is the country's second-largest rebel group after the currently-demobilizing FARC. They are active in various areas of the country, including Boyacá, Norte de Santander, Arauca, La Guajira, Cesar, Bolívar, Casanare, Santander, Chocó, Cauca, Nariño, and Putumayo departments, particularly in rural zones.

Since the peace agreement between the FARC and the Colombian government was signed in November 2016, some FARC dissident groups have refused to accept the agreement and have continued operations. Some FARC leaders have complained that many of the 26 transition camps, which are intended to help FARC members reintegrate into society, lack basic supplies and facilities. The most recent report by the UN Secretary General estimates that not even 10 percent of the transition camps have been completed. Such transition camps are a major component of the peace agreement.

Advice

Due to the presence of a number of armed groups - including organized crime groups, drug cartels, right-wing paramilitaries, and local gangs - many Western governments advise against travel to various regions of the country (particularly rural zones), with the notable exceptions of the northern Caribbean regions and central areas (including Bogotá).