In the last few hours,he company KMA Construcciones announced that the 19 workers who had been deprived of their liberty in CatatumboThey are out of danger again. The news was made known through an official press release, which quotes the following:
“Faced with the events that occurred on July 7, 2023, in which company personnel and machinery belonging to it were kidnapped, assigned to the Transversal del Catatumbo project, KMA is allowed to report that the 19 project workers who were kidnapped this morning have been released and they are in an apparent good state of health”, quotes the official text.
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Apparently, none of them was tortured or ill-treated during their captivity: “Currently they are being provided immediate monitoring to confirm their good conditions. From KMA we celebrate that our workers are free and can return to their homes with their families”.
From KMA they ask that the guarantees be given as a company and to the workers to continue carrying out their construction work: “Once again We call on the National Government to guarantee the security conditions to execute the projects throughout the countrywhich are crucial for the development and progress of Colombia”.
It is worth noting that the signed letter appears in the name of Juliana Marquez PerezManager of Corporate Affairs of KMA Construcciones.
This is how they kidnapped 19 KMA workers in Catatumbo
The company KMA Construcciones, through a press release, denounced that several of its workers from the Transversal Catatumbo project were kidnapped this Friday. The text indicates that there are nineteen victims. Likewise, a good part of the machinery would be retained.
They are emphatic that since June they have received threats, which led them, on June 13, to request the suspension of the contract for the Transversal del Catatumbo highway.
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“Not receiving a positive response, on June 16 the request was reiterated, alleging the reports corresponding to the disturbance of public order in the area. On June 23, the inspectorate ruled stating that there was no merit for the suspension of the contract. In this regard, no communication was received from INVIAS. On July 7, prior to the events, a communication was sent to INVIAS reiterating, once again, the need to suspend the contract immediately, taking into account the threats.”
As soon as the facts became known, the company called on the Government to guarantee security conditions at the industrial operation sites:
“At KMA, we work tirelessly to bring development to the territories through our works. We call for security conditions to be guaranteed to carry out projects throughout the country. We express deep solidarity with our workers and their families and we look forward to their speedy release and return to their homes.”