A French Foreign Legion soldier was kidnapped earlier this month in a guerrilla-dominated area in southwestern Colombia, the country’s military said Thursday. José Olger Melo Charry, a Franco-Colombian, was taken hostage on August 6 while traveling on a highway in the department of Nariño, according to a Colombian army report seen by AFP. Those responsible are believed to be the Central General Staff (EMC), the main dissident faction of the now-defunct FARC rebel army, which laid down its weapons in a historic 2016 peace agreement. Colombian FARC leaders ordered reparations for more than 21,000 kidnappings. To display this YouTube content, you must enable ad tracking and audience measurement. OK Manage my options One of your browser extensions appears to be blocking the video player from loading. To view this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again Cover image: © France 24 The rebels seized Melo Charry after realizing it belonged to the French Foreign Legion, the report added. Army Colonel Mauricio Osorio told Blu Radio on Thursday that Melo Charry joined the French army “four years ago” and was on leave in his home country. The soldier “has the rank of corporal,” said Osorio. The group blamed for the kidnapping is supposedly led by Iván Mordisco, Colombia’s most wanted guerrilla. The country’s armed groups, which are mainly dedicated to drug trafficking and illegal mining, use kidnapping to extort or pressure the authorities. How armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to recruit young people. To display this YouTube content, you must enable ad tracking and audience measurement. OK Manage my options One of your browser extensions appears to be blocking the video player from loading. To view this content, you may need to disable it on this site. Try again Cover image: See “Colombia: use of TikTok as a recruitment tool”, a visual investigation carried out by Observadores de FRANCE 24. © Observadores / Upian President Abelardo de la Espriella has adopted a policy of frontal confrontation with armed groups with the help of the United States. Under his leftist predecessor Gustavo Petro, the government’s peace negotiation efforts failed, and multiple groups funded themselves through drug trafficking and illegal mining. (FRANCE 24 with AFP)
