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The warning also followed a political rally earlier this year where presidential candidate Álvaro Uribe VÉlez spoke to a large crowd sponsored by the International Charismatic Mission. Uribe, who is the leading candidate according to polls, has advocated a tough, military stand against the various guerrilla groups in Colombia's 40 year-long civil war.

Following his address, rumors circulated that FARC guerrillas had named evangelical churches as military targets. Those rumors were confirmed when a major evangelical association received information directly from FARC that evangelical pastors and churches are considered military targets because of alleged political involvement.

While most missionaries live outside of the former guerrilla enclave, the renewed military action and fear of guerrilla reprisals have left many of them wary.

"Tension is up, of course, and everyone is very aware of the moment-by-moment news being broadcast," said Latin America Mission (LAM)-Canada missionary Beverly Ramirez from her home in Armenia, northwest of the most intense military action. "All across the country we are being advised not to travel, either by air or by road, unless absolutely necessary. We are also advised, if at all possible, to stay close to home, work and school."

Stephen Armet of LAM, which works in partnership with churches and Christian agencies throughout Latin America, said that most of the larger missions have contracted full-time security people who have also sent notices of a high security alert.

"This means to have your paperwork in order and be ready to leave quickly if you must," he said. "They also advise to avoid travel in any 'red zones' where guerrilla, ELN (National Liberation Army) or FARC may be present in force."

The Miami-based Latin America Mission has notified all of their missionaries in Colombia that the Mission stands ready to help them should they feel the need to evacuate the country. "We are not 'telling you' to leave," Member Care Director Connie Befus wrote to mission personnel. "We are urging you to exercise extreme caution, use your best judgment, and we stand ready to help if you feel you should evacuate."

Prolonged talks between the government and FARC leaders collapsed on February 19 after the rebel group hijacked a national airliner and kidnapped a senator.

Colombian president Andres Pastrana angrily ordered the army to retake a guerrilla enclave that Pastrana had ceded to the FARC in late 1998 as a concession aimed at spurring peace talks.

Some 10,000 Colombian soldiers were deployed in the military mission, dubbed "Operation Thanatos" after the Greek god of death. Troops took control of five towns within days after guerrilla forces fled into the jungle.

Guerrillas have responded by numerous attacks on electricity supply lines and telephone communications, leaving much of the country without light or phone service.

The 38-year-old guerrilla conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives in the past decade.

Copyright © 2002 Latin America Mission News Service

For more news coverage of the events in Colombia, see Christianity Today'sWorld Report and Yahoo! full coverage.

Previous Christianity Today articles on Colombia include:

Risking Life for Peace | Caught between rebels, paramilitaries, and crop-dusters, peacemaking Christians put their lives on the line in violent Colombia. (September 7, 2001)

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March (Web-only) 2002, Vol. 46