Leftist rebels kidnapped one of Colombia’s most important governors, a Catholic priest and a former defense minister at a weekend peace march, authorities said Monday.
Guerrillas identifying themselves as members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia intercepted the three as they marched with 1,000 activists in a rural area about 175 miles northwest of Bogota on Sunday evening. President Andres Pastrana condemned the abduction, but also criticized kidnapped Antioquia Gov. Guillermo Gaviria for failing to heed military warnings against joining the protest.
With the kidnapping, Gaviria, based in Colombia’s third-largest city, Medellin, joins an FARC treasure trove of high-profile abductees that includes presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and five national lawmakers.
