A Colombian soldier serving in the French Foreign Legion was kidnapped in early August in a region of Colombia controlled by guerrilla groups, the army announced on Thursday, August 27. José Olger Melo Charry was taken hostage on August 6 while traveling on a road in the department of Nariño, in the southwest of the country, according to an army report consulted by AFP.
The presumed perpetrators are dissidents of the now-dissolved FARC guerrilla group who refused to sign the 2016 peace agreement with the government. The document indicates that the rebels kidnapped him after realizing he belonged to the French Foreign Legion. Corporal Melo Charry, who has served in the French army for four years, was on leave in his home country, according to Colonel Mauricio Osorio on Colombian radio Blu Radio.
The group accused of the kidnapping is led by a man known as Iván Mordisco, the most wanted guerrilla fighter in Colombia. Armed groups in the country, mainly involved in drug trafficking and illegal mining, use kidnappings to extort money or put pressure on authorities.
President Abelardo de la Espriella, a hard-right leader, has pursued a policy of merciless fight against guerrillas and drug traffickers since taking power in early August, with the support of the United States. His left-wing predecessor, Gustavo Petro, himself a former member of another dissolved guerrilla group, failed in most of his peace efforts. Many experts point out that armed groups strengthened during his presidency.
Reference
RFI, “Un soldat de la Légion étrangère française enlevé en Colombie,” published August 28, 2026. https://www.rfi.fr/fr/am%C3%A9riques/20260828-un-soldat-de-la-l%C3%A9gion-%C3%A9trang%C3%A8re-fran%C3%A7aise-enlev%C3%A9-en-colombie