A Colombian soldier from the French Foreign Legion escaped after nearly a month in captivity

José Olger Melo Charry, a Colombian corporal in the French Foreign Legion, escaped after nearly a month in captivity and reached a police station after crossing for four days a mountainous region in southwestern Colombia controlled by armed groups and involved in drug trafficking.

The 35-year-old soldier had been kidnapped on August 6 while on vacation in the department of Nariño. The kidnapping was attributed to a dissident group of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). According to the authorities, the kidnappers did not demand a ransom, but considered him a “big fish.” For most of his captivity, the man was held with his hands and feet tied.

On September 3, the soldier asked his kidnappers to take him to a secluded place. Left alone with one of the guards, he restrained him and took his rifle, despite having his hands tied. He then jumped into a river and managed to escape.

After freeing himself, Melo Charry traveled for four days through the Andes, hiding from motorcyclists and fearing that he would be reported. He contacted his family by phone, and his relatives alerted the authorities. On Sunday, he reached the police. His job with the Foreign Legion reportedly would not have allowed him to travel to Colombia.