Gangrey
Vol. I · No. 1Prolonging the Slow Death of NewspapersEst. 2026

How the Colombian army sent a hidden message to hostages… using a pop song

Jeff Maysh: Colonel Jose Espejo was a man with a problem. As the Colombian army's communications expert watched the grainy video again, he saw kidnapped soldiers chained up inside barbed-wire pens in a hostage camp deep in the jungle, guarded by armed FARC guerillas. Some had been hostages for more than 10 years, and many suffered from a grim, flesh-eating disease caused by insect bites.

It was 2010, and the straight-talking Espejo was close to retirement after 22 years of military service. But he couldn't stand the thought of quitting with men left behind enemy lines. He needed an idea, and when he needed an idea, he always went to one man.

Juan Carlos Ortiz was dunking his kids in the pool…

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