Inside a Siege

A Mass and a birthday party

When Colombian Photographer Jorge Guzman, 52, was hired by the Dominican Republic's embassy in Bogota, his assignment was to shoot publicity photos of top-ranking diplomats partying on Dominican Independence Day, Feb. 27. The reception, it turned out, was stormed by terrorists belonging to Colombia's M-19 guerrilla organization, who seized 56 guests as hostages, including 14 ambassadorsand one hapless photographer. Since then Guzman has kept busy recording the surprisingly cheerful activities during the captives' five-week ordeal. Last week guerrillas released six more of the "non-diplomats," reducing the number of hostages to 23. Otherwise, negotiations between terrorists and the Colombian government, conducted in a panel truck outside, continued to creep along at a frustrating pace as the guerrillas persisted in their demand for the release of 28 prisoners from Colombian jails.

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