CARACAS, Wednesday April 05, 2006 | Update
Authorities found the bodies of the three Faddoul Diab brothers,
who were kidnapped 41 days ago.
Bryan Faddoul (17), Kevin Faddoul (13) and Jason Faddoul
(12) and their driver, Miguel Rivas (30), were found dead
near an electrical tower, in San Antonio de Yare, west of
Caracas.
The bodies were taken to the local morgue, where José
Faddoul, uncle of Faddoul brothers, identified the victims.
The minister of the Interior and Justice Jesse Chacón
late Tuesday read an official communiqué expressing his
sympathies to the relatives of the victims. He branded the
crime as "abominable and regrettable."
He called the Faddoul brothers' father to advise him of the
finding.
"We lament, despite the efforts that were made 24 hours a
day since this started, we have not been able to prevent this
abominable homicide," Chacon said.
Chacón added the perpetrators would be prosecuted to
the full extent of the law.
The three brothers and their driver were abducted last February
23rd when unidentified men dressed as police officers stopped
their car at a roadside checkpoint in Caracas as the boys
were on their way to school.
The victims were found with gunshot wounds in their head
and neck area. It appeared they had been killed at least two
days before their bodies were found, judicial police chief
Marco Chávez said on state television.
04:20 PM. Western Hemisphere. Colombian President Álvaro Uribe said on Tuesday that governments should ensure citizens' rights to live on the border, in reference to a political and diplomatic crisis with Venezuela and its effects on border residents.