BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) --An act of bravery has taken a tragic turn in
Colombia, with the discovery of the body of a 25-year-old woman who
exchanged herself for her kidnapped father.

The army said Wednesday that authorities have found the body of Melina Pereira,
held since April by kidnappers identifying themselves as members of the leftist
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. She was shot three times in the
back at close range, military officials said.

Pereira exchanged herself for her father, 65-year-old Antonio Pereira, after he fell ill
during his kidnapping.

After the exchange, the family was unable to come up with the ransom needed to
secure the woman's release. The amount of ransom sought was not disclosed.

According to the army, when the family asked the rebels to lower their demand, the
guerrillas responded by sending a note saying the woman had been killed, and giving
the location of the body.

Pereira's body was recovered by authorities on Friday in northern Santander state,
the army said.

This South American country has an average of 3,000 kidnappings per year, by far
the world's highest. Leftist rebels are responsible for most of the abductions, which
are carried out for ransom or to apply political pressure. Common criminal gangs
also kidnap, sometimes pretending to be guerrillas.

Copyright 2001 The Associated Press.