The ELN delivers the body of a former Colombian mayor kidnapped since 2019 who died during a shipwreck

Posted: Nov 16, 2021 11:52 GMT

The armed group asked for more than $ 700,000 to free Tulio Mosquera Asprilla.

The National Liberation Army (ELN) handed over to a humanitarian commission on Monday the body of Tulio Mosquera Asprilla, former mayor of the Alto Baudo municipality, in the department of Chocó, who died during a shipwreck after spending more than two years kidnapped by the Armed group.

The confirmation of this delivery was made by the Archbishop of Cali, Darío Monsalve, through his Twitter account, where he reported that the International Red Cross and the Bishop of the Chocoano municipality of Istmina-Tadó, Mario Álvarez, had received “the mortal remains “from Mosquera Asprilla on behalf of the ELN.

“‘Everything OK. Whole body‘says the message from rescuers. A humanitarian action, for human dignity and hope for life, freedom, truth and peace. Colombia deserves it! “, Wrote the Archbishop of Cali.

At this time, the ICRC and the Bishop of Istmina have received from the ELN the mortal remains of Tulio Mosquera Asprilla. “Everything OK. Whole body ”, says the message of rescuers. A humanitarian action, for human dignity and hope for life, freedom, truth and peace. Colombia deserves it!

– Dario Monsalve (@arzobispodecali) November 15, 2021

After knowing the news, the Colombian president, Iván Duque, published in the networks that the armed group “once again shows its barbarism, its terrorism and its absolute degradation with the vile murder of Tulio Mosquera “.

The president broke the dialogue process with the ELN in 2019, after it attributed an attack to a police cadet school in Bogotá, which left 22 dead.

The ELN once again shows its barbarism, its terrorism and its absolute degradation with the vile assassination of Tulio Mosquera. They want to present themselves as “humanitarian” handing over his corpse, but it is clear that his death is derived from his macabre kidnapping.

– Iván Duque 🇨🇴 (@IvanDuque) November 15, 2021

In a statement attributed to the ELN, which circulated in the media on November 4, the armed group stated that in the midst of a confrontation with state security forces, a boat carrying the former mayor had been shipwrecked and that dead drowned.

Mosquera Asprilla was kidnapped on August 24, 2019 while he was carrying out proselytizing activities related to the electoral campaign for the Mayor’s Office of Alto Baudo, in Chocó. The ELN was asking for 3,000 million pesos (about $ 766,000) for his release, according to his relatives.