Mitú
| Mitú | |
|---|---|
| — City and municipality — | |
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|
 Mitú
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| Coordinates: 1°12′N 70°10′W / 1.2°N 70.167°WCoordinates: 1°12′N 70°10′W / 1.2°N 70.167°W | |
| Country |  Colombia |
| Region | Amazonía |
| Department | Vaupés |
| Foundation | |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Javier Vargas Castro (L)[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.422 km2 (6.3 sq mi) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 28,000 |
| • Density | 1,705/km2 (4,416/sq mi) |
| Estimated | |
| Website | mitu-vaupes.gov.co |
Mitú is the capital city of the department of Vaupés in Colombia.[2][3] The town of Mitu is the most remote Capital of Department in Colombia.
In November, 1998 an estimated 1,900[4] FARC guerrilla members of the Eastern Bloc of the FARC-EP tried to take over the town by force, against 120 National Police members and one Colombian National Army Battalion. The Colombian Air Force and Army Aviation supported ground forces with air raids. Mitu was left partially destroyed and some 60 policemen and 10 civilians died along with over 800 guerrilla members[4]. In their escape FARC took hostages as human shields including some 40 to 45 members of the Colombian Military.[5]
On June 13, 2010, two of the hostages captured in Mitu in 1998, National Police Col. (now Gen.) Luis Mendieta and National Police Col. Enrique Murillo were freed by the Colombian army in a spectacular rescue[6] that also freed two others captured in Miraflores to the west in 1998.
[edit] References and notes
- ^ (Spanish) Colombian Registry of the Civil State: 2007 election results - Vaupés
- ^ (Spanish) Empresa telefonica de Bogota; Mitu
- ^ Instituto Geografico Agustin Codazzi; Creation of Mitu
- ^ a b El Tiempo.com Especial 10 Años
- ^ INTERNACIONAL | Colombia. La guerrilla causa 70 muertos en la ciudad de Mitú
- ^ AP 4th Hostage Found in Colombian Jungle after Raid
[edit] External links
- (Spanish) Mitu official website
- (Spanish) Territorial-Environmental Information System of Colombian Amazon SIAT-AC website
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