Marc Carbonneau

Marc Carbonneau (born May 29, 1933) is a convicted terrorist and taxi driver.

Carbonneau, Quebec, Canada, is a left-wing political activist who advocated violence. He was a member of the Front de Libération du Québec (FLQ) which was responsible for a decade of bombings and robberies during the 1960s, and whose actions precipitated what became known as the October Crisis.

A member of the FLQ's Liberation Cell that included Louise Lanctôt, Jacques Cossette-Trudel, Jacques Lanctôt, Yves Langlois and Nigel Hamer, on October 5, 1970 they carried out an armed abduction of James Cross, the British Trade Commissioner to Canada, from his Montréal home as part of their violent attempt to overthrow the elected government and to establish a socialist Québec state independent of Canada. On October 10, members of the FLQ's Chenier Cell kidnapped and eventually murdered Québec Vice Premier and Cabinet Minister, Pierre Laporte. Believing many others would follow in an uprising, the goal of the FLQ terrorists was to create an independent state based on the ideals of Fidel Castro's Cuba.

Marc Carbonneau and other members of the Liberation cell held James Cross hostage, taking his photo and sending it to police with a list of demands that included money and the release of other convicted terrorists. They advised authorities that Cross would be executed and further threats to Cross' life were delivered to several radio stations along with the terrorists' demands.

Early in December 1970, police discovered the location of Marc Carbonneau and his fellow terrorists holding James Cross. His release was negotiated and on December 3, 1970, Carbonneau and the four others were granted their request for safe passage to Cuba by the Government of Canada after approval by Fidel Castro. Although Carbonneau had asked to go to communist Cuba and was exiled from Canada for life, he secretly left Cuba to live in Paris, France. After a few years there, he wanted to return to Canada and began secret negotiations through the reigning government Parti Québécois to achieve that goal. Eventually, the Federal Government consented and Carbonneau returned to Canada from Paris on May 25, 1981. He was charged with conspiracy, forcible detention and extortion in connection to the kidnapping of James Cross. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. On October 22, he went back to court and changed his plea to guilty in the kidnapping of James Cross.

On March 23, 1982, Marc Carbonneau was sentenced to 20 months in jail for kidnapping, forcible confinement, conspiracy and extortion.

Today, Marc Carbonneau runs a construction company.