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Fighting Farc with Morse Code Song

Juan Carlos Ortiz hid Morse Code messages in a song to communicate with hostages.

Advertising executive Juan Carlos Ortiz grew up in the Colombian capital of Bogota, a country which has suffered decades of armed conflict and has long been among the major producers of illegal drugs such as cocaine. Juan Carlos ran a campaign against the addictive qualities of cocaine, and made powerful enemies of Farc guerillas who relied on the drugs trade. A few years later, Juan Carlos was asked by a Colombian army chief to get a secret message to hostages being held by Farc rebels in the middle of a jungle.

Image: Advertising executive Juan Carlos Ortiz
Credit: Courtesy of Juan Carlos Ortiz

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15 minutes

Podcast