The Message To Colombian Hostages Hidden In A Pop Song.

In 2010, the Colombian Army was facing a pretty serious hostage crisis, with several groups of kidnapped soldiers being held hostage by armed guerrilla fighters of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the FARC).

The FARC sent a bit of grainy footage to Colombian Army Colonel Jose Espejo, a straight-talking gent coming up to his retirement after some 22 years of service.

Some of the Colombian soldiers had been hostages for well over 10 years. Worse yet, it could be seen from the footage many were suffering from flesh-eating diseases passed on through insect bites. Colonel Espejo couldn’t stand the idea of retiring with his men still suffering through captivity.

So he got in touch with the one man who had always provided a solid solution to his problems in the past: Colombian advertising legend Juan Carlos Ortiz.

Ortiz had shot to fame for his anti-drug advertising campaigns in Colombia, winning a Gold Lion at Cannes and earning a commendation from Colombia’s first lady.

Ortiz’s anti-drug adverts had earned him the FARC’s ire in the past, as drug running was a major part of their operation. In fact, Ortiz had moved to New York with his family after persistent death threats from the paramilitary organisation.

So when Colonel Espejo called Ortiz, he was all too happy to help.

It was a known fact that the FARC executed hostages at the first sign of Colombian troops, so Colonel Espejo had to get a message to them to be ready to move somehow. And that somehow was where Ortiz came in to the picture.