Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 16 March 2018

Colombia: Plot by Cuban jihadist to kill US diplomats halted

FBI. country legally on a visa
Authorities said they had with the aim of eventu-
intercepted communica- ally making his way to the
tions from late February in U.S., a Colombian official
which Gutierrez allegedly told The Associated Press
discussed plans to make on condition of anonymity
and detonate a home- because he was not autho-
made explosive in a restau- rized to discuss the case on
rant in Bogota where he the record. Authorities later
had sought work as a dish- discovered he had been
washer and which was fre- issued the visa based on
quented by U.S. diplomats. false statements and pro-
In another message sent ceeded to deport him to
over the Telegram instant Cuba, the official said.
messaging service, he also But he returned in 2016, en-
allegedly expressed a will- tering the country illegally
ingness to blow himself up by land from neighboring
for Allah and ISIS. Ecuador, which doesn't re-
Gen. Jorge Nieto, head quire Cubans to have visas
of Colombia's police, de- like Colombia and many
clined to discuss the evi- other nations do. Authori-
dence in the case in detail ties caught up with Gutier-
except to say a number of rez in Pereira, and in 2017
Police escort Cuban suspect Raul Gutierrez to court where a judge will rule on prosecutors’ re-
quest he be held on terrorism and conspiracy charges in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, March 15, electronic devices were he was expelled again.
2018. Gutierrez is suspected of plotting to kill American diplomats in the name of the Islamic State. seized that lend credence He is believed to have re-
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) to the hypothesis that he turned to Colombia a third
was planning a terrorist at- time at the start of the year.
By JOSHUA GOODMAN American diplomats in the bail on terrorism and con- tack. Gutierrez pleaded Prosecutors on Wednesday
CESAR GARCIA name of the Islamic State. spiracy charges. not guilty in his first court said Gutierrez had received
Associated Press The suspect, Raul Gutier- He was arrested earlier in appearance Wednesday. precise instructions in com-
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) rez, arrived Thursday in the week in the western Gutierrez had been ex- munications with people
— Police in Colombia have handcuffs to a Bogota city of Pereira in a coordi- pelled from Colombia from Spain and Morocco
arrested a Cuban man sus- courtroom where a judge nated investigation involv- twice before. on carrying out an attack
pected of plotting to kill ordered him held without ing police in Spain and the In 2015, he entered the targeting Americans.q

Peru's congress approves impeachment trial against president

By FRANKLIN BRICENO makers have threatened Days later, Kuczynski par- "He's going to have a lot posed the action and an-
Associated Press to remove the former Wall doned Fujimori from a more difficulty," said Eduar- other 15 abstained.
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Peru's Street investor over his ties 25-year jail sentence for do Dargent, a political sci- At the heart of Kucyznski's
congress has voted by a to the Brazilian construction human rights abuses com- ence professor at Pontifical troubles is $782,000 in pay-
wide margin to reopen im- giant Odebrecht, which mitted during his decade- Catholic University of Peru. ments that Odebrecht
peachment proceedings is at the center of Latin long rule. The measure adopted made to his private con-
against President Pedro America's biggest corrup- But analysts say his chanc- Thursday inviting Kuczynski sulting firm more than a de-
Pablo Kuczynski, thrusting tion scandal. es of survival look slimmer to appear before congress cade earlier. For months,
the Andean nation into re- In December, Kuczynski this time. The deeply un- next week to defend his Kuczynski had denied hav-
newed political turmoil as it narrowly avoided being popular president has be- actions had the support of ing any political or business
prepares to host President voted out of office after come increasingly isolated 87 lawmakers — the same ties with Odebrecht even
Donald Trump at a regional a small opposition faction as one-time allies aban- number needed to eventu- as three of his predeces-
summit less than a month including the son of then- don him and polls show a ally oust the president on sors were investigated
away. jailed former President Al- majority of Peruvians want grounds of "moral incapac- for taking bribes from the
It's the second time law- berto Fujimori abstained. Kuczynski out. ity." Fifteen lawmakers op- company.q