Remains of priest kidnapped by revolutionaries found in Colombia

Bogotá, Colombia, May 4, 2006 / 22:00 pm

Authorities this week said DNA tests have revealed that human remains discovered near the San Juan River in northwestern Colombia are those of Father Javier Francisco Montoya, who was kidnapped on November 21, 2004 by the Revolutionary Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Father Montoya, who was 45 at the time, was kidnapped by FARC in the town of Alto de Tamana in the northwest region of Choco.

At the time of the kidnapping, Father Montoya was preparing to celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Conception.  FARC later announced that Father Montoya had been shot and that his body would not be returned because it had been buried.

Nevertheless, Bishop Alonso Llano Ruiz of Istmina-Tado, said he received a phone call on April 24 informing him that human remains, along with some clothes and a crucifix, had been found near the San Juan River.

Another priest, Father Cesar Dario Peña, was also kidnapped by the FARC in 2004. His fate remains unknown.