BOGOTA – A former rebel hostage, who hosts an acclaimed radio program through which he works to end kidnapping in Colombia, flew to Spain Monday on the recommendation of authorities and family members who asked him to leave the country after a FARC plan to assassinate him was thwarted.

In a telephone conversation with Efe, Herbin Hoyos Medina said that he was scheduled to travel next week to lead a motorcycle caravan through several European countries, but had to leave sooner than expected.

“I had to go to Europe because of the caravan and was leaving next week, but now I have to go sooner because of the situation here. I’m going to Spain and then to France,” he said.

Hoyos earlier described to Efe how Colombian authorities ruined the FARC’s planned assassination attempt.

Hoyos said he had to flee last Thursday from a place north of Bogota, where he was leading a motorcycle caravan to dramatize the plight of rebel hostages, after being alerted by the authorities of the plot against him.

“In Usaquen Park I got a call from the security chief of Caracol (Radio) alerting me to a risky situation,” Hoyos said, recalling that when he left the place on his motorcycle, his escorts, who were riding in an SUV, were crashed into by a truck, but he managed to escape, he said.

Hoyos escaped on his motorcycle to a place safe enough to contact members of military intelligence, who confirmed the plan of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, to kill him.

The host and producer of the Caracol program “Las Voces del Secuestro” (The Voices of Kidnapping) added that this is not the first time the rebels have plotted his murder, since on at least two other occasions plans to slay him have been detected.

“Half of my family is outside (Colombia) because of these threats, and now I have to take the other half away,” he said, adding that he will not leave the country and that the government has to guarantee his personal safety because of the social work he is doing.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe said that Hoyos brought him up to date on the attacks “that the narcoterrorist group of the FARC plotted against him and that fortunately failed.”

The president said that security forces have increased the protective measures around Hoyos.

The Colombian journalist has been honored on more than 10 occasions for his radio program, including at the 2008 International Press Prizes awarded annually by Madrid’s International Press Club.

Besides championing freedom for hostages in the jungle, Hoyos gets their family members to speak to them over the radio so they can keep up to date with what is going on at home and receive words of encouragement from their relatives. EFE