Latest news with #FranciaMárquez
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Joy as Colombian boy, 11, freed after 18 days in rebel captivity
An 11-year-old Colombian boy has been reunited with his family 18 days after he was kidnapped by members of a dissident rebel group. Five armed men wearing balaclavas stormed the boy's home in a rural area of Valle del Cauca province on 3 May and seized him and a domestic employee. They released the employee soon after but held the boy in a shack at a remote location for almost three weeks until they agreed his freedom in negotiations with Colombia's ombudsman's office, the Red Cross and the Catholic Church. Rebel groups in Colombia are notorious for forcibly recruiting children but the boy's abduction from his home at gunpoint nevertheless shocked locals. Police said that the kidnappers were part of the Frente Jaime Martínez, an off-shoot of the Farc rebel group that continued fighting after Farc agreed a 2016 peace deal. The boy's mother described his release as "a miracle", adding that the weeks he had been in captivity had been "horrible, a nightmare". Many dissident rebel groups such as the Frente Jaime Martínez finance themselves through extortion and kidnappings for ransom, as well as drug trafficking. The commander of the regional police force, Brigadier General Carlos Oviedo, said the boy's stepfather had been the real target of the kidnappers, but that they had seized the boy when they found that the stepfather was not at home. The stepfather, a local merchant, told local media that he was not involved in any illicit business and said he did not know why he had been targeted. It is not clear if a ransom was paid for the boy's release. His stepfather said the boy had told the family that he had been shackled for the first four days of his captivity but was in good health. His mother said that her son appeared anxious and that he had bitten his fingernails down. He was taken to the local hospital for examination. The mayor of Jamundí, the town where the family lives, thanked the local community "for not giving up" and for holding rallies demanding the boy's release. Colombia's vice-president, Francia Márquez, had also demanded that the boy be freed. "Ife is sacred and the freedom of any human being is non-negotiable, less so when it's that of a child," she wrote in a statement. Colombian rebel group to end kidnaps for ransom Luis Díaz's father freed by Colombian guerrillas
Boston Globe
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Five things to do around Boston, April 21-27
Thursday Dot Delicacies Celebrate Boston's largest neighborhood at the 17th Annual Taste of Dorchester. At this night of food and fun, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at IBEW Local 103, try dishes from more than 20 local restaurants, bid in a silent auction, and listen to live music from area bands. $50, with food included in admission; proceeds benefit the Massachusetts Affordable Homeownership Alliance. Advertisement Friday Un-Presidented Join Arts Emerson for a showing of Igualada from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Emerson College's Bright Family Screening Room. This documentary, which director Juan Mejia Botero made over 15 years, follows Black Colombian presidential candidate Francia Márquez. Through her underdog campaign, Márquez challenged Colombia's embedded racial and socioeconomic inequality. Catch a Q&A with the filmmakers after the screening. $12; discounts for students, seniors. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Saturday and Sunday Set Sail Do you want to learn to sail? Join the Courageous Sailing Open House for two days of free 20-minute sails on Boston Harbor from its Charlestown boathouse. Discounts on memberships and lessons will be available. The family-friendly event runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Register for a time slot at Advertisement Saturday and Sunday Japan Jamboree At Japan Festival Boston 2025, celebrate Japanese culture and the Japan-Boston partnership. Try all kinds of Japanese food (for purchase), watch traditional dance and music performances, and learn about Japanese pop culture at this popular annual event, which drew 70,000 attendees last year! Runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Boston Common. Free admission. Share your event news. Send information on Boston-area happenings at least three weeks in advance to week@ Adelaide Parker can be reached at
Bloomberg
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Colombian Vice President Márquez Says Her Life Is in Danger
Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez said her life is in danger for speaking out against corruption. Márquez made the statement in a letter published on X, but didn't elaborate on who might wish to kill her.
