# Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-of-french-foreign-legion-corporal-in-colombia > Updated: 2026-09-09T00:07:52.000Z. Sources: 55. Developments: 4. On August 6, 2026, José Olger Melo Charry, a Colombian-born corporal serving in the French Foreign Legion, was intercepted at an illegal checkpoint in the Nariño department of southwestern Colombia. Melo Charry was on authorized leave to visit family when he was taken near Puerto Remolino while traveling toward Cumbitara. He had arrived in the country only the day before his abduction. Initially, Colombian authorities suspected dissidents of the FARC, specifically the Franco Benavides structure associated with Ivan Mordisco, were responsible for the abduction. While the French Ministry of Defense monitored the situation, it noted that Melo Charry holds Colombian nationality. The French Ministry of the Armed Forces further clarified that while he does not hold French nationality, he possesses a residence permit for mainland France. By late August, the EMC guerrilla group, a major FARC dissident faction, claimed responsibility for the capture. The group rejected the term ‘kidnapping,’ instead stating that Melo Charry is being held as a ‘prisoner of war’ and is in ‘perfect health.’ The EMC reported that the incident occurred during military operations in the Cumbitara municipality. On September 3, Melo Charry executed an escape plan by requesting to be taken aside to use the restroom. Despite having his hands bound, he managed to overpower a guard and seize a rifle, subsequently jumping into the Patía River to use the current to evade his captors. After spending four days navigating the dense vegetation and rugged terrain of the Western Cordillera, the 35-year-old soldier managed to evade the dissidents and reach a police sub-station in El Ejido, Policarpa, on the night of September 5. He was subsequently airlifted from El Ejido to Pasto, where he remains under medical observation and is accompanied by his family. ## Claims - The corporal was kidnapped on August 6 in the Nariño department of southwest Colombia. (disputed by 10 sources) - The soldier reached a police sub-station in El Ejido around 23:30 on Saturday, September 5. (disputed by 4 sources) - The kidnapping was carried out by dissidents of the FARC, specifically the EMC group. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The corporal spent four days alone in the wild after escaping. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The corporal was airlifted from El Ejido to Pasto on Sunday morning. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The soldier is currently under medical observation in Pasto. (corroborated by 10 sources) - José Olger Melo Charry, a corporal in the French Foreign Legion, escaped from his captors. (corroborated by 9 sources) - No ransom demand had been received by the soldier's family. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-09: French Foreign Legion soldier escapes guerrilla captivity in Colombia A Colombian soldier in the French Foreign Legion escaped captivity after being held by FARC dissidents for nearly a month, surviving a four-day trek through the Colombian Andes. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-foreign-legion-soldier-escapes-guerrilla-captivity-in-colombia ### 2026-09-07: French Foreign Legion corporal escapes FARC captivity in Colombia A Colombian corporal in the French Foreign Legion has escaped after being held for nearly a month by FARC dissidents in Nariño, Colombia. He survived four days alone in the wild before reaching police. 18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/colombian-soldier-escapes-farc-dissident-captivity ### 2026-08-31: EMC guerrilla group claims capture of French Foreign Legion corporal The Colombian EMC guerrilla group has claimed the capture of José Olger Melo Charry, a French Foreign Legion corporal, calling him a ‘prisoner of war’ after his abduction in Nariño. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/emc-guerrilla-group-claims-capture-of-french-foreign-legion-corporal ### 2026-08-28: French Foreign Legion soldier kidnapped in Colombia Colombian-born French Foreign Legion corporal José Olger Melo Charry was kidnapped on August 6 in Nariño, Colombia, by suspected FARC dissidents led by Ivan Mordisco. 31 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/french-foreign-legion-soldier-kidnapped-in-colombia --- Cite as: Kidnapping and escape of French Foreign Legion corporal. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/kidnapping-of-french-foreign-legion-corporal-in-colombia