by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Eleven days ago, on September 29, ten-year old Nohara Valentina Muñoz was kidnapped. She was abducted right outside of her school by a group of armed men. Her mother, Pilar Gutierrez, was also taken but quickly released. Nohara’s father is Jorge Enrique Muñoz, the mayor of the town of Fortul in the Arauca department.
School children protest the kidnapping of classmate Nohara Munoz. (Photo Courtesy of Colombia Reports)
The Mayor’s first concern was that his daughter be unharmed. Contact with the kidnappers was established three days later on Sunday, October 2. The Mayor announced that he received a phone call from the kidnappers who told him his daughter was alive and well. All requests for him to identify those responsible for the kidnapping were side-stepped.
“Now we know who has her. At present, I am not authorized to provide that information to the public, but I can only say that there was the first contact and that the girl is well,” was Muñoz’s statement to press.
The situation sparked a demonstration on Friday September 30. Over 1,000 residents of Fortul, predominately fellow classmates of Nohara’s, turned out to protest her abduction. They marched from her home to the spot where she was taken in front of the school, shouting words of encouragement and calling for her release.
The Catholic pope, his holiness Pope Benedict XVI, also took note of the kidnapping. The Colombian Ambassador to the Holy See, Cesar Velasquez, announced that the Pope was keeping the girl in his prayers, hoping that she be safely returned. Juan Santos, Colombia’s president also spoke out against the kidnapping.
“I don’t know who has her but what I want to say to these bandits, because taking this girl is an act of cowardice, is that we are going to pursue them to where they are and we are going to rescue this girl,” he said.
A 100 million peso (roughly US $50,000) reward has been offered for information about Nohara’s capture. Additionally, requests have been made to Venezuela to make sure the kidnappers do not try and take her across the border.
Suspicions, about who is responsible, are firmly focused on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Group (ELN). Neither group claimed responsibility.
Yesterday, during the search, fighting between the army and ELN occurred. In the skirmish five rebel ELN fighters were killed. The ELN has reacted to this by telling the FARC to come clean about their role in the kidnapping.
It remains unclear who in fact is responsible for taking the young girl.
For more information, please see;
Herald Sun – Five Rebels Killed in Colombia’s North – 9 Oct0ber 2011
BBC News – Colombia Troops Kill ELN Rebels During Kidnap Search – 8 October 2011
Latin American Herald Tribune –Colombian Girl’s Kidnappers Contact Family – 6 October 2011
Colombia Reports – School Children Protest Kidnapping of 10-year-old – 30 September 2011
