Colombian Rebels Free Mine Executive
Leftist rebels freed a Canadian mine-drilling executive Saturday who three months ago swapped himself for an employee kidnapped while drilling for gold.
Norbert Reinhart, 49, said he wasn’t mistreated and spent most of his time studying Spanish and exercising. He even managed to quit his two-pack-a-day cigarette habit.
“I feel wonderful--I feel like I’ve been reborn,” he told the Canadian Press from Bucaramanga, about 200 miles northeast of Colombia’s capital, Bogota, just hours after being released.
“All the flavors of life are a little bit better than before I came in. I’m not taking anything for granted. Life’s a wonderful thing,” he said.
Against the advice of Canadian Foreign Minister Lloyd Axworthy, Reinhart trekked into the mountains of northeastern Colombia and exchanged himself Oct. 6 for drill foreman Ed Leonard, who was kidnapped in June.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
