Colombia: Indigenous group kidnaps 16 soldiers in Cauca region

Indigenous protesters in southwestern Colombia on Wednesday took 16 soldiers hostage, in retaliation to a failed attempt by the military to arrest a member of their community, authorities said. The army said in a statement that its soldiers were surrounded by more than 700 people preventing them from arresting a man “wanted for the crime of aggravated homicide and fabrication, illegal carrying and possession of firearms.” Authorities said the man was “injured trying to escape” and is currently being treated in hospital for a leg injury. Indigenous people accuse army of mistreatment Indigenous people from Toribio in the Cauca department accuse authorities of mistreatment and irregularities during the attempted arrest. They said soldiers entered the man’s home and shot at him, accusing him of belonging to an illegal armed group. Family members claim German Rivera was a victim of mistaken identity, and that despite showing soldiers his ID documents, they still “attacked him, tied him up and dragged him out of the house.” Videos shared on social media showed soldiers being walked in single file through a rural area surrounded by members of the Indigenous guard, an unarmed organization that defends the community’s interests. The army said it would file a complaint for “kidnapping and riot” against the Indigenous hostage takers. Indigenous people kidnapping soldiers is not a one-off incident in Colombia. In early March, a community in the southwest took 80 police hostage for two days in protest against the activities of an oil company. With inputs from AFP Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram .