US Orders Ex-Members Of Colombian Guerrilla Group To Pay $36M For Kidnapping

A US court on Thursday ordered former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla group and several of its leaders to pay $36 million in damages for the kidnapping of French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt in 2002.

The ruling came from Pennsylvania Federal Court Judge Matthew Brann, settling a lawsuit filed in 2018 by Lawrence Delloye, Betancourt's son, who argued in his complaint that the FARC and its leaders had violated the US Antiterrorism Act and that his mother's abduction had caused him considerable distress.

​​Delloye, who is a US citizen, argued that when Betancourt was kidnapped, he was only 13 and lacked a mother during those formative years.

"While the FARC held Betancourt hostage, they starved, threatened and abused her. The FARC also released several hostage videos showing that Betancourt was alive. These videos caused Delloye immense emotional distress, which manifested itself in sleepless nights and educational losses," said the ruling.

The document also states that the kidnapping of his mother "destroyed his sense of trust, confidence in life and in others, and damaged his ability to show affection and receive love."

Betancourt was kidnapped in 2002 and spent more than six years in captivity, living in miserable conditions in the remote jungle, isolated and chained.

She was taken hostage when she was a presidential candidate while visiting a remote community in the country.

It is not clear whether the former members and leaders of the now disbanded guerrilla group will be able to pay that amount of money as they have no assets in the US.

"While no amount of money can replace the time Delloye lost with his mother or heal the trauma the FARC caused him, we are proud to have been able to help bring some measure of justice," said Robert Levy, who represented the family during the process.

During a hearing before the transitional justice court in November, the former politician said she wanted to know who gave the order for her kidnap.

"I want to know the details of the order for my kidnapping. I want an explanation of how this order was discussed," Betancourt said.

So far, the circumstances of her abduction are unknown. -