Colombian Army Searching
For Six Kidnapped
Tourists
Colombian government
forces are intensifying
efforts to trace six
tourists seized on
Sunday by the nation's
largest rebel group, the
Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC),
Colombian Defense
Minister Juan Manuel
Santos said on Monday.
The six -- two teachers,
two students and two
businessmen -- were
kidnapped by the FARC in
Nuqui, a town in the
northeastern province of
Choco, he said.
"There are troops in the
area redoubling their
efforts to see if we can
rescue the tourists or
force their liberation,"
Santos said.
"All of them are
Colombians. I understand
that there is a teacher
who has a foreign name,
but that he is
Colombian," he added.
Diogenes Bisbal, who had
been with the group of
six when they were
kidnapped but was set
free, said they had been
heading for a famous
waterfall in the region
when they were suddenly
surrounded by ten
gunmen, who forced them
into the jungle.
Hector Aguas, commander
of the Marine Infantry's
River Brigade, told the
media that all tours
must now be accompanied
by troops for security
reasons.
"We have an agreement
with the hotels that
when tourists travel to
risky areas they will
ask for our help to
avoid such situations,"
Aguas said.
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