Western Hemisphere
Manuel Junior Cortés, the only survivor of the massacre in Andean Táchira state, where eight Colombians, one Venezuelan and one Peruvian were killed, in addition to one Colombian missing, related that he walked for more than three hours, his neck wounded. Thanks to a peasant, he was taken care of and saved his life.

The Colombian lad gave Táchira authorities the details of the mass kidnapping on Sunday, October 11th, in a soccer field at Chururú, Fernández Leo municipality, and the subsequent execution, early last Saturday, by a Colombian band of outlaws, presumably the National Liberation Army (ELN), as released by Bogotá's daily newspaper El Tiempo.

"For 14 days we would have only rice, tuna and water. If raining we got wet. The blanket was sort of a plantain leaf and just yesterday (Friday, October 23rd) a person arrived. Around 2:00 p.m. he gave us the big news that we were leaving. We were very happy and even cried of happiness. But we did not know that the departure was to shoot all of us," said 18-year-old Cortés.

Chained by couples
The boy recalled that all of them remained together in a camp, mountaintop, tied by couples with chains and padlocks on their necks. They were guarded by about 18 men headed by aka Payaso (the Clown). However, on Friday, at 7:00 p.m., they set fire to the camp and took them by six, in two vans, in order to kill them.

"They stopped and made us go down, put us on our knees and battered us. We felt a burst of six or seven gunshots. I received one only. One or two minutes later, I opened my eyes and realized I was alive. I touched all my other friends, but they were dead. I stood up and walked for approximately three and a half hours (…) Finally, I saw the light from a house; I went there and knocked on the door; a gentleman opened."

Córdoba requested for mediation
Middleman for the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) and opposition congresswoman Piedad Córdoba received a notice where she was requested to take part in the repatriation of the bodies of the eight slain Colombian soccer players, in addition to one Peruvian, Efe reported.

"I got an e-mail from some people, I do not know if they are Venezuelans, asking for my involvement. I am really not very acquainted. As far as I know, it was a soccer team, composed not only of Colombian, but also Venezuelans, who where reportedly killed by a paramilitary group," she said.

Translated by Conchita Delgado