A Colombian Catholic priest who went missing in mid-June has been released from captivity and is in good health.
Father Carlos Saúl Jaimes Guerrero, from the Order of Saint Augustine was travelling to a rural area of Viotá Municipality, Cundinamarca Department, allegedly for an appointment. He never reached his destination.
His vehicle was found in a rural area with its engine still running. There was no sign of Father Carlos and no indication of any violence or robbery.
His disappearance follows a disturbing case in Colombia in which eight religious and social leaders went missing after being summoned to a meeting by a militia group that split off from the notorious FARC movement. All eight were later found dead in a mass grave.
On 27 July however the Order of Saint Augustine confirmed that Father Guerrero was safe in their care after being released by an unknown armed group that had kidnapped him.
Exactly what transpired remains unclear and the Order has asked that Father Guerrero’s privacy be respected as he recovers from his ordeal.
Churches, human rights organisations and Father Guerrero’s mother all made appeals to find out what had happened to the missing priest.
Anna Lee Stangl, Director of Advocacy at Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which called for an investigation into Father Guerrero’s disappearance, said, “CSW welcomes the release of Father Carlos Saúl Jaimes, though we remain concerned that he was disappeared in the first place.
“We call on the government of Colombia to recognize the specific vulnerability of religious leaders by ensuring their access to government protection programs and security mechanisms.”
CSW has raised concerns that in 2023, despite attacks on faith leaders, the Colombian government removed religious leaders from a list of people able to receive special protection due to their vulnerability. CSW has said that cases such as this show the need for additional protection for faith leaders from armed groups.
