FARC denies kidnapping tourists
From Karl Penhaul
CNN
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Colombian troops arrive to search for the eight abducted tourists.
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Colombia's rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), issued a communique denying any responsibility in the kidnapping of eight overseas tourists. CNN's Karl Penhaul reports (September 17)
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BOGOTA, Colombia (CNN) -- Colombia's Communist rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), issued a communique late Tuesday denying any responsibility in the kidnapping of eight overseas tourists.
The two Britons, four Israelis, a German and a Spaniard were abducted before dawn Friday in Indian ruins known as the Lost City known as "Ciudad Perdida" in Spanish -- in the Tayrona national park, in the Sierra Nevada mountains on Colombia's Caribbean coast.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the abduction but Colombian authorities immediately blamed FARC guerrillas and launched a huge search and rescue operation.
The hunt is drawing on the firepower of some 1,500 soldiers and police, including jungle-trained commandos and elite anti-kidnap squads, as well as nine helicopter gunships.
In its three-point communique FARC denied any involvement in the snatch. They blamed the incident on Colombia's military intelligence, accusing the army of wanting to stage a phony rescue operation in order to give the impression they were winning the country's long-running war against the rebels.
FARC also said the kidnap and rescue operation was an attempt to divert international attention away from President Alvaro Uribe's recent verbal attacks on some independent human rights groups. Over the last 10 days the president has twice accused some rights groups of being "terrorist mouthpieces," sparking outrage fro some international organizations.
There was no immediate reaction to the rebel statement from either the Colombian government or diplomatic missions in Bogota. It is likely, however, to be met with some skepticism.
An aerial view of the archaeological ruins of "Ciudad Perdida."
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Colombia is notorious as the kidnap capital of the world with some 3,000 abductions a year, most of them are blamed on rebel forces, which bankroll their war against the state with kidnap ransom payments.
The FARC statement, if true, raises the question as to who is holding the eight abductees. A group of five tourists left behind by the kidnappers said initially the gunmen claimed to be right-wing paramilitary fighters.
The paramilitary forces, however, have little track record of kidnapping foreigners for ransom or political motives.
Despite Colombia's long-running civil conflict, the Lost City remains a popular tourist destination, especially for international backpackers. The ruins are situated at about 5,000 feet (1,300 meters) and the surrounding peaks of the Sierra Nevada rise to beyond 19,000 feet (5,700 meters) -- the highest in Colombia.
The ruins are a four-day hike from the nearest main town. Tourists pay guides around $100 to accompany on an expedition across rugged paths, across rivers, through waterfalls and up steep mountains.
