The drama of Nancy Gómez's kidnapping keeps an entire municipality of La Guajira on edge: she has been missing for nearly 90 hours.

NewsNancy Gómez had been receiving threats, and her husband, the mayor of Uribia, reported that the authorities were aware of this situation. Photo: Social media14.11.2026 23:01 Updated: 14.11.2026 23:01 The morning of Wednesday, November 11 changed abruptly for one of Uribia's best-known families. The social advocate Nancy Gómez Sánchez, wife of the mayor of Uribia Jaime Luis Buitrago García, was kidnapped during the early hours of the day. READ ALSO Since then, more than 90 hours have passed since the woman was intercepted by armed men while she was near a gym in the municipality. In that same span, a family has been suspended in uncertainty, a search team has deployed operations across a vast border area, and an entire community has taken to the streets to demand that she return alive. The disappearanceThe events occurred during the early hours of Wednesday. According to information released by the authorities, the social advocate was kidnapped between 5:45 and 6:10 in the morning while she was near a gym. Security cameras recorded the truck in which Gómez was allegedly abducted. Photo:ET ARCHIVEThe news spread quickly through Uribia, and within hours, Gómez's disappearance ceased to be a private matter and became a regional concern. Her role as the municipality's social advocate and her family ties to the mayor placed the case at the center of La Guajira's public agenda, while security agencies began a race against the clock to try to establish the route taken by those responsible. Since the kidnapping occurred, one of the most visible voices could be none other than that of the mayor himself, Jaime Luis Buitrago García. Behind every public statement, the municipal leader acknowledges that he is not only facing a security crisis, but also a personal one, as the husband seeking answers about the whereabouts of the woman with whom he shares his life and his family. In interviews granted over the past few days, Buitrago has insisted that the pain goes beyond his public office. He also revealed that, before the kidnapping, his wife had reportedly received threats. According to his account, at some point a message was sent to her warning that "she would be next." That revelation raised new questions about the motives and whether the act may have been preceded by prior intimidation. For now, no authority has publicly reported a definitive conclusion on that line of investigation. The search at the borderWhile the family waits for news, the authorities keep the search operations active. Units of the National Police, the National Army, the Military Gaula, and the Colombian Aerospace Force are taking part. Jaime Buitrago García said in a radio interview that it is very likely she was taken out of the country. Photo:Social mediaThe work includes reviewing security cameras, analyzing routes, tracking intelligence information, and controls at the Venezuelan border. The mayor himself has publicly acknowledged that, because there are routes from Uribia that allow reaching the neighboring country in a short time, concern has increased over the possibility that those responsible may have attempted to take the victim out of national territory. Amid the uncertainty over his wife's whereabouts, he stated that, although he did not want to be pessimistic, the geographical conditions of the area led him to believe that those responsible may have already moved her to Venezuela, but that he trusts they will spare her life. So far, however, no entity has officially confirmed that Nancy Gómez has been taken out of Colombia. Uribia stands with NancyAs the hours passed without news of Nancy Gómez Sánchez's whereabouts, the concern ceased to be exclusive to her family circle and began to be felt throughout much of Uribia. Nancy Gómez is known for her social work and efforts on behalf of vulnerable populations in Uribia. Photo:Social mediaOn the night of last Thursday, hundreds of people took to the streets to participate in a mobilization called in support of the social advocate and in rejection of her kidnapping. Dressed in white, carrying candles, balloons, and signs with messages calling for her prompt release, the participants marched through several sectors of the municipality before gathering at the Indigenous Plaza. The demonstration brought together community leaders, local authorities, merchants, teachers, entire families, and members of the Wayúu communities who have had contact with the social work Gómez has carried out in her institutional role. The event was marked by messages of solidarity with the family and calls for those responsible to allow the woman's prompt return. In videos and images shared on social media, long columns of people could be seen walking in silence, holding lit candles and displaying signs with photographs of Nancy Gómez, while other participants offered prayers for her release. By then, more than 24 hours had passed since the kidnapping, and the authorities were still not reporting conclusive progress on her location. That absence of answers increased the uncertainty among relatives, friends, and residents of Uribia, where the case has become the main topic of conversation and follow-up in recent hours. As the operations advance, the story continues to be told in hours. More than 90 since Nancy Gómez was last seen — the same time during which a family remains clinging to any information that could reveal her situation. In these same 90 hours, the entire municipality has taken to the streets in a show of solidarity with the family, while the uncertainty persists over where Uribia's social advocate is and when she will be able to return home. Reward and lock-down planWhile the family waits for news and social pressure grows in Uribia, the authorities keep operations active to locate Nancy Gómez Sánchez. In the first hours after the kidnapping, a lock-down plan was deployed with the participation of units of the National Police, the Army, the Gaula, and other security agencies, which continue to carry out intelligence work, analysis of surveillance cameras, and verification of information gathered in recent days. In Uribia, La Guajira, there is concern about the health of the municipality's first lady. Photo:Eliana MejíaAs part of the institutional offensive, the Government of La Guajira announced a reward of up to 300 million pesos for anyone who provides information that helps locate the social advocate or identify those responsible for the kidnapping. The authorities have insisted that any piece of information could prove decisive in an investigation that, more than three days after the events, still offers no conclusive answers. In the first hours after the kidnapping, President Abelardo De La Espriella responded to the request of the mayor of Uribia, Jaime Luis Buitrago García, who asked for institutional support in light of the risk that his wife might be taken out of the region. After learning the preliminary details, the president ordered the full deployment of the Public Force and the activation of a lock-down plan in the border area of La Guajira, with the aim of preventing the kidnappers from moving her to Venezuelan territory. In that same statement, De La Espriella revealed that the first information gathered by the authorities pointed to the possible involvement of the ELN, although he clarified that this hypothesis had to be verified within the investigation. READ ALSO "The first reports point to the involvement of the ELN, a situation we are verifying," said the president, who also stated that he had ordered the use of all the State's capabilities to locate Nancy Gómez Sánchez, achieve her rescue, and bring those responsible to justice. Since then, the alleged involvement of the ELN has remained one of the main hypotheses in the case. You may also be interested in:EL TIEMPO Photo:EL TIEMPO Follow all the news from Colombia on Facebook and Twitter, or in our weekly newsletter. EL TIEMPO NEWSLETTERSSign up for our newsletters and receive news in your email based on your interests. Stay informed about what really matters to you. EL TIEMPO GOOGLE NEWSFollow us on GOOGLE NEWS. 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