Guatemalan Peasants
Wanted For Kidnapping
Tourists
Guatemalan judicial
officials have issued
arrest warrants for
seven peasants who
allegedly kidnapped six
people last week,
including four Belgian
tourists, government
sources said Wednesday.
Four Belgian tourists
(from L: woman with hat,
man in dark t-shirt and
man in white t-shirt),
held hostage by peasant
farmers since Friday,
get into a vehicle as
they are escorted by
police after being
released by their
captors in Puerto
Barrios March 16, 2008.
Four Belgian tourists
(from L: woman with hat,
man in dark t-shirt and
man in white t-shirt),
held hostage by peasant
farmers since Friday,
get into a vehicle as
they are escorted by
police after being
released by their
captors in Puerto
Barrios March 16, 2008.
(Xinhua/Reuters Photo)
Photo Gallery>>>
Four Belgian tourists
and two Guatemalans were
abducted Friday while
touring caves in Izabal
province, some 250 km
northeast of Guatemala
City, by members of the
peasant group "Encuentro
Campesino," demanding
the legitimization of
land claims and the
release of their jailed
leader Ramiro Choc.
The Belgian hostages
were freed early Sunday
following an operation
by local security
forces, according to the
kidnappers.
Police were searching
for the abductors, said
officials in Guatemala
City.
"Encuentro Campesino"
kidnapped 29 Guatemalan
National Civil Police
agents in February to
demand the liberation of
Choc, who was arrested
on Feb. 14 on charges of
invasion of private
property and robbery
among others. But the
government has not
yielded to the group's
demand so far.
|
|
