Andean Region, Crime, Law & Justice, Mining, Politics

Peru Officials Say No Confirmation Workers Released by Colombian Rebels

Peruvian officials said Wednesday that they have not received confirmation that two Peruvian miners have been freed by leftist rebels in Colombia, daily Peru.21 reported.

The Peruvian consul in Cartagena, Jorge Davila, said that “if they would have been freed, I would have been informed.”

In January, Colombia’s National Liberation Army, ELN, kidnapped five workers from Canadian firm Braeval Mining Corp in the northern department of Bolivar. The other workers were Colombian and a Canadian.

ELN said in a statement on Tuesday that it had released the workers.

The kidnapping occurred in a context where Colombia’s government is holding peace talks with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC, a larger rebel group than the ELN.

Analysts had said that the ELN’s kidnapping was part of its effort to boost its profile in order to be invited to participate in the peace talks.

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