AROUND FIFTEEN THOUSAND COLOMBIANS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM CELEBRATED 20TH JULY AND DEMANDED FREEDOM FOR ALL THOSE HELD CAPTIVE IN COLOMBIA

On 20th July, to commemorate the aniversary of the 198 years of the country’s independence, Colombians in the United Kingdom united over two days of festivities in London to mark the important occasion.

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I feel for Ingrid Betancourt — I was kidnapped, too

I was once kidnapped and held hostage by political terrorists in South America. My ordeal only lasted about an hour — but it was rather frightening. Like Ingrid Betancourt, it was partly my own fault for ignoring obvious security advice. Unlike her, I was able to talk my way out of it. It is hard to imagine the six years of continuous terror and abuse this doughty lady experienced at the hands of the Marxist terrorist group, FARC, in Colombia. Her release, in a bold exercise by the Colombian Armed Forces, is, rightly, a matter of universal rejoicing and a triumph for President Uribe.

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