July 20 (Reuters) - Thousands of Colombians took to the streets on Sunday to protest hostage-taking in the country's guerrilla war. Marches across the country coincided with Colombia's Independence Day. The idea for the demonstrations came from 15 kidnap victims rescued earlier this month after years held by Marxist rebels. Following are some facts about hostages held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, and other groups. * About 520 people were kidnapped by in Colombia last year, down sharply from an average of 3,000 a year in the late 1990s, according to government statistics. * Over the last 12 years, 23,854 people have been taken hostage, 2,800 of whom remain in captivity. * On July 2 French-Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt, three American defense contractors and 11 other hostages held by the FARC were rescued in an operation carried out by the Colombian military. The rebels were duped into turning their most-prized captives over to state security officers disguised as aid workers. * The FARC wants Uribe to pull troops back from a rural area around the size of New York City to create a safe haven to stage a hostage swap. Uribe, whose father was killed in a botched FARC kidnapping in 1983, says that would allow the rebels to regroup. He has offered a smaller zone under international observation. (Reporting by Hugh Bronstein; Editing by Alan Elsner)
Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe (L) stands next to indigenous people as he visits newly built medical offices in Dumingueka in the Guajira region July 18, 2008. REUTERS/Cesar Carrion/Presidency of Colombia/Handout (COLOMBIA). ...
