Kidnappers flee to safety in Costa Rica

Press, 11 May 1979, Page 6

Kidnappers flee to safety in Costa Rica

NZPA San Sahador Three anti-Government I militants who took over the [Costa Rican Embassy and 'held five hostages in El Savador over the weekpend gave up yesterday (N.Z.I time) and accepted a safe- 1 conduct pass to Costa Rica, officials have said. One Costa Rican Government source said the militants were en route by plane to San Jose, the Costa Rican capital, and were accompanied by a Costa Rican security official. Costa Rican officials in San Jose said a security (agent flew to San Salvador to take the three guerrillas to Costa Rica, guaranteeing their lives. The militants, members of the Leftist Popular Revolutionary Bloc, seized the embassy with pistols and machetes on Friday while 16 comrades took over the French Embassy, where they continued to hold six hostages. including the ambassador.

1 he Costa Rican Embassy had been closely guarded (since the ambassador and (four female hostages slipped jout a side door to a waiting (car and escaped unharmed ion Monday. I Members of the Bloc also! (seized the metropolitan cath-l edral, where the police fired on a demonstration of Bloc I sympathisers on Tuesday. Nineteen people were (killed in the shooting. l according to Red Cross offi-i icials. Late yesterday Red Cross, workers entered San Salva-j dor’s bloodstained metropolis tan cathedral to retrieve the; bodies of 17 of those killed; when the police opened fire. The Salvadorean Foreign! Minister (Dr Antonio Rodr- j iguez Porth) confirmed that; the militants accepted “political asylum in Costa Rica and have left the country.” ; He said the alternative of; political asylum “had been[ offered from the beginning; but not until today was it] accepted.” Dr Porth declined to say I:

I why the militants ha changed their minds ar (accepted the offer. i Meanwhile, at the Frenc [Embassy, the Foreign Mit ister said, “There has bee !no change.” He said the 16 militant [inside are “being stubbor and refuse any type of negt tiation.” They hold the Ambassadc (Mr Michel Dondenne) i ! commercial attache, Hea Durffaud, and four othen three French and one poss! bly Venezuelan, he said. Food and beverages ar being passed to the hostage by members of the embassy commercial section wh were not in the embass; when it was seized. Mr Durffaud’s wife, .lea nette, and others take sand wiches to the embassy build ing and pass them inside b| means of a pully to the see ond floor window. Cleat clothes are passed inside th same way.