Overlanding German brothers taken by gorilas in Colombia

[SEETHEWORLD349]

http://www.semana.com/Home


as a Colombian citizen I feel shame and anger to see this happen to Overlanders
as far as I know the retired 70yo + brothers from germany were on their way out of colombia in their Toyota Land Cruiser when the ELN (National Liberation army) took them hostage and acused them of being spies

as a Colombian I can say that Colombia is one of the most beautyfull places on earth and the people are happy loving helpfull by nature and I hate how something like this will make tourist think twice about going to expirience such a wonderfull place.

does anyone know if they had a site ???

post up what you know

Cesar

 

[TheBuddyExpedition]

Sad, very sad indeed...praying for their release!!!

 

[hrt4me]

so these two in now in the hands of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia—Ejército del Pueblo guerrillas?

 

[SEETHEWORLD349]

so these two in now in the hands of the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia—Ejército del Pueblo guerrillas?

no not the FARC sad to say we have more then one gorilla army in Colombia
FARC and ELN not to mention Paramilitar

the brothers were taken by the ELN

 

[TheBuddyExpedition]

excuse my ignorance, whats the difference between the FARC and ELN?

 

[UK4X4]

Similar- slightly diferent ideals

farc is in talks with the government

they probably just felt jealous about the publicity

Local 4x4 clubs are starting some publicity of their own
- share with your friends down south !


https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.p....432208678519.204468.697263519&type=1&theater
https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.p....432208678519.204468.697263519&type=1&theater

 

[gm13]

Hoping for their safe return, though I was expecting to read a about a Bigfoot abduction

 

[BIGdaddy]

Hoping for their safe return, though I was expecting to read a about a Bigfoot abduction

x2.

I was like ******?

 

[grimbo]

Obviously fled Rwanda

Hope the two German gents get out ok

 

[Tjaank]

This is not good - I am planning a trip to Columbia later this year and would like to find out if there is any particular road or area I should steer clear off. Do we know where it happened?

 

[UK4X4]

It occured in the border area Colombia-Venezuela

http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&s...&ei=cN0WUbesB4za8ASWqoCQBg&sqi=2&ved=0CHwQtgM

2002 "there are a total of about 23,000 acres of illicit crops in five protected areas in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria and the Serrania de Perija"

Where they were taken is a beautiful area- but a known no go area for foreigners- both sides of the border with venezuela

there are many beautiful places in Colombia- why go to the bad areas if not required

The army and Police usually know whats going on in the area- friends of ours last weekend took a 4 hr detour due to farc conducting roadblocks on a particular road.

they were stopped warned and simply detoured arround the area.

I worry more about crime here than terrorism - we stay away from the riskier areas.

Hopefully they'll be released soon- which I'm confident will happen

ref risky areas the US and the UK FCO post up to date travel warnings for Colombia

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/south-america/colombia
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1090.html#safety

 

[TheBuddyExpedition]

This is not good - I am planning a trip to Columbia later this year and would like to find out if there is any particular road or area I should steer clear off. Do we know where it happened?

when will you be there? are you shipping a vehicle?

we're heading to Cartagena the 15th of April then rolling down to Usuaia for New Years Eve then back up to watch Dakar 2014.

 

[HumphreyBear]

Is this really thought to be for 'spying' or simply for ransom? When I was there a few years ago two other younger Germans we taken from a bus after they left our hostel in Cali. The story going around at the time was that if the men holding up your bus asked for your passport and pulled out a mobile phone they were checking your bank records to see what your bank balance was and whether you you were worth ransoming. This happened to me first hand (the passport - phone - appraising glare thing) on a bus from Bogota to Cucuta, but I'd been travelling for nine months in South America by this stage and obviously didn't have enough to worry about!:sombrero:

 

[HumphreyBear]

But...

For those considering going, I've been there a couple of times and there are obviously people on the Portal living there. Don't let these stories dissuade you, one of the most beautiful and welcoming countries I've ever been to, you just have to be careful and conscious of what/where/when you are doing things. It's not the safest country in the world (nor the most unsafe), but I'd go back in a heart beat.

 

[Arlo]

The brothers were released yesterday.

http://www.hr-online.de/website/rubriken/nachrichten/indexhessen34938.jsp?rubrik=36098&key=standard_document_47738895