LIBERADO EL T�CNICO ITALIANO EN MANOS DE LA GUERRILLA EN COLOMBIA

The Italian technician of the Ansaldo Energia, Gianluigi Ravotti, has been recently released.

The negotiations were led by the Community of Sant'Egidio, that began its intervention right after the kidnapping. The kidnapping took place on November 10, 2001, while Ravotti was going to hydroelectric power station "Porce 2", about 130 Km from Medellin, to complete the assemblage of the equipment provided by Ansaldo Energia to the "Impresa publica de Medellin".

With the co-operation of some Colombian volunteers and always in tight contact with the Genoese firm, the family and the Italian ambassador in Bogot�, dott. Felice Scauso, the Community worked to identify the groups that hold Gianluigi Ravotti prisoner. Afterwards the Community negotiated the release of Ravotti, which took place today.

Riccardo Cannelli, a member of the Community of Sant'Egidio, and the representatives of the Ansaldo Energia will come back to Italy, to Genoa, in the following days.

Ravotti's release concludes a painful story that put the technician's life at stake for more than five months. The first improvement and real hopes of a positive conclusion were born when the Community obtained the release of the three workmen of the firm Carle e Montanari, kidnapped by the ELN Colombia guerrilla. On that occasion, on last April 12, when Claudio Cellario and Pietro Bocchiola were released (Pietro Izzia had been released in November), Riccardo Cannelli gave the announcement of positive contacts for the release of the Genoese technician, who had been kidnapped by another organisation, probably linked to the Farc. Ravotti's wife and son have already been able to speak to him at the telephone.