The World - News from March 20, 1988

An Occidental Petroleum engineer kidnaped last year by Colombian guerrillas has been freed, police said. Richard Paulson, a native of Canada, was released Friday near Beleen and came to Bogota by bus, according to police. The National Liberation Army had initially asked $20 million in ransom for Paulson, but it later reportedly reduced the amount to $6 million. It was not known if Occidental paid for Paulson’s release. Paulson was abducted in Arauca on March 8, 1987, with another employee of Occidental, Amanda Uribe, who was released a few hours later with the ransom demand.