Colombia warns firms face expulsion for paying ransoms Skip to main content

Colombia warns firms face expulsion for paying ransoms

Juan Manuel Santos on 8 March 2011 President Santos warned firms not to pay extortion or ransom money to the rebels

Related Stories

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has threatened to expel multinational companies who pay ransom money for the release of kidnapped employees.
Mr Santos was speaking three days after 23 men subcontracted to a Canadian oil company were kidnapped by left-wing rebel group, the Farc.
All but one of the kidnapped employees were freed on Tuesday.
The company, Talisman Energy, has denied paying a ransom and said it always followed Colombian law.
President Santos said that during their debrief by the security forces, some of the kidnapped employees reported hearing of a deal allegedly made by the company and the rebels.
"The rebels apparently mentioned 5,000 million pesos (£1.64m; $2.62m) and hinted that the sum had already been agreed with the company," the president said.
"We have to investigate further what that is about, but I have this warning: any company which pays a single peso to these bandits, leaves the country," he added.
"We can't allow anyone to keep feeding these bandits, because the only thing they're going to do with the money is create more violence and insecurity," Mr Santos said.
Multinational companies have been known to pay large sums in ransom and extortion money to Colombian armed groups.
In 2007, the fruit company Chiquita admitted paying almost $2m in protection money to right-wing paramilitaries.
Conflicting reports The 23 kidnap victims were working for South American Exploration, a company subcontracted by Talisman Energy, when they were abducted on Monday in Puerto Principe de Guerima, in eastern Vichada province.
A representative for Talisman told the BBC that the company would never "contact, or negotiate with illegal armed groups, much less pay a ransom".
A member of an anti-narcotics squad stands by a burning hut during a raid in Colombia
The workers, all of them Colombian nationals, were based at an oil camp in the region.
Twenty-two were freed on Tuesday, but there are conflicting reports as to whether the rebels let them go or whether the armed forces rescued them.
Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera said intense military pressure had brought about their release.
Head of the Armed Forces Adm Edgar Cely said the security forces were continuing their efforts to free the remaining hostage, a topographer.
He said bad weather on Thursday meant the troops had not been able to gather much information on the whereabouts of the hostage.
Adm Cely also said that there were indications that the guerrillas had infiltrated the oil company's workforce and that someone on the inside had provided the rebels with information on the workers' movements.
He said that the mass kidnapping had been carried out after the Canadian firm refused to pay protection money to the rebels.
He urged all firms who were being threatened to refuse to pay and to turn to the armed forces for protection.
In a statement, Talisman said it was working with the Colombian military, the local community and partners to support efforts to free the remaining hostage.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12708011

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Chronology of the Press in Burma

1836 – 1846 * During this period the first English-language newspaper was launched under British-ruled Tenasserim, southern  Burma . The first ethnic Karen-language and Burmese-language newspapers also appear in this period.     March 3, 1836 —The first English-language newspaper,  The Maulmain Chronicle , appears in the city of Moulmein in British-ruled Tenasserim. The paper, first published by a British official named E.A. Blundell, continued up until the 1950s. September 1842 —Tavoy’s  Hsa-tu-gaw  (the  Morning Star ), a monthly publication in the Karen-language of  Sgaw ,  is established by the Baptist mission. It is the first ethnic language newspaper. Circulation reached about three hundred until its publication ceased in 1849. January 1843 —The Baptist mission publishes a monthly newspaper, the Christian  Dhamma  Thadinsa  (the  Religious Herald ), in ...

Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera

The Life Story of A Distinguished And Outstanding Bhikkhu The Most Venerable Saradawpharagree Sri Bhaddanta Chandramani Mahathera The Buddhist missionary Saradaw Ashin U Chandramani was endowed with great gifts and led a famous and long life. He was a very well known, distinguished and outstanding Bhikkhu Mahathera. While living in the Kushinagar Monastery, a place close to where the Lord Buddha had passed away to Nirvana, the Government of India had offered, and he had accepted, the highest, most honourable and respected title "Guru Guru MahaGuru". He became the first ever President of all Buddhists in India.A World Buddhist Conference took place in Kathmandu during the reign of King Mahindra of Nepal. The Conference was very well attended by over one hundred thousand Buddhists from various parts of the world and it was opened by King Mahindra himself. As requested by the King, Saradawpharagree blessed all the participants with the power of Triple Gems...

Thai penis whitening trend raises eyebrows

Image copyright LELUXHOSPITAL Image caption Authorities warn the procedure could be quite painful A supposed trend of penis whitening has captivated Thailand in recent days and left it asking if the country's beauty industry is taking things too far. Skin whitening is nothing new in many Asian countries, where darker skin is often associated with outdoor labour, therefore, being poorer. But even so, when a clip of a clinic's latest intriguing procedure was posted online, it quickly went viral. Thailand's health ministry has since issued a warning over the procedure. The BBC Thai service spoke to one patient who had undergone the treatment, who told them: "I wanted to feel more confident in my swimming briefs". The 30-year-old said his first session of several was two months ago, and he had since seen a definite change in the shade. 'What for?' The original Facebook post from the clinic offering the treatment, which uses lasers to break do...