practiced in Colombian army and police uniforms and made mock-ups of the regional parliament in Cali with plastic tarps and sticks. A rebel camera was rolling as the 20-strong commando group drove a bus to Cali, Colombia's third-largest city. Salsa music was blaring. Watch the FARC footage of the dramatic abduction of Lopez and other lawmakers They were posing as government soldiers. Motorcycle outriders cleared the way. Once they reached the parliament building, they faked a bomb alert. The bus pulled out in front of the building, and the video shows people running from the perceived threat. On the video, an unseen rebel is heard to say, For the deputies, we have a special vehicle. Twelve congressmen took their seats, believing the military was shepherding them to safety. Minutes passed, and one politician asked where they are headed. A few minutes later, the muffled reply can be heard: Ladies and gentlemen. We are the FARC. Back in the mountains, the hostages were herded aboard a truck. Guerrillas waved and hugged as they celebrated their audacious mission. In 2003, Lopez and some of the other hostages appeared in a proof-of-life video. One of his colleagues simply wrote, Until when ? on his hand and held it up to camera. Another, Jairo Hoyos, sent a prophetic plea to the president: Mister President. Those who are about to die salute you. Eleven of the congressmen were