The Government of Colombia has just introduced a new law that will give kidnap victims and their families some financial relief and suspend their financial responsibilities.According to this law, state and private businesses are obliged to pay the salaries of their kidnapped employees to their families and schools and universities must extend favourable credit facilities to the children of kidnap victims.

"It is a great step forward, it is a gesture of support from the government and Congress towards kidnap victims" stated Juan Carlos Lecompte, husband of the former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, kidnapped by FARC since February 2002.

Under the law protecting kidnap victims, the latter will be exempt from financial and tax payments during the time they are kidnapped. Families of those kidnapped must obtain a certificate of authorisation that can confirm this situation.When persons are released, up to a year will be allowed before they are obliged to pay debts and during this period, arrangements can be made to refinance any loans.

In 2004, it was officially confirmed that 700 economic kidnappings had taken place, the majority of which were attributed to Marxist rebels for whom this activity is their second most important source of finance.

Colombian authorities acknowledge that there are hundreds of people currently kidnapped. Some of these, from the military and police have been deprived of liberty for more than 7 years deep in the jungle by FARC.