ELN kidnaps 39 people in Colombia
Colombia’s largest active rebel group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), has kidnapped 39 people, including a child, in the country’s northwestern Choco region.
The Colombian army said the victims were taken from a highway in Choco, an area where the ELN has a strong presence. A military source said all those kidnapped were civilians travelling on a bus.
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The army called on the ELN to release the victims immediately and without conditions.
The ELN is the oldest active guerrilla group in the Americas and is funded through drug trafficking and other illegal activities. The group often clashes with government forces in Choco, a region near the Panama border.
The Colombian government tried to reach a peace agreement with the ELN after President Gustavo Petro took office in 2022, but the talks failed.
President-elect Abelardo de la Espriella has promised to take tougher action against armed groups and improve security in the country.
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