Bogota - A retired Colombian military officer was holding 19 people hostage in the pension affairs building Wednesday, holding a grenade and threatening to set it off if his application for retirement pay continues to languish.

The 19 hostages included other pension applicants as well as pension officials, Colombian officials said.

The hostage-taker, whose identity was not given, has demanded to speak with the ombudsman for human rights in Colombia, Volmar Perez, as well as high ranking military commanders.

A police bomb squad had surrounded the building. (dpa)