Bogota - A group of teachers, angry at not having been paid for six months, kidnapped 50 figurines central to Holy Week celebrations in the Colombian town of Mompos.
Local people forced the kidnappers to hand back most of the statues, but the teachers made off with the figurine depicting "Nuestro Senor de la Columna".
The teachers' spokesman said they would not return it until they were paid. "We don't want to ruin Easter Week," he said. "But there is no justice in this country unless it is imposed by force."