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A12 WORLD NEWS
Friday 18 January 2019
9 dead in car bombing at police academy in Colombia capital

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — manently protected by ex-
At least nine people were plosive-sniffing dogs, heavi-
killed and dozens more in- ly-armed guards and secu-
jured in a car bombing at rity cameras. But there were
a heavily guarded police unconfirmed reports based
academy in Colombia's on leaked recordings of
capital on Thursday, recall- phone conversations of
ing the high-profile attacks officers on the scene that
seen during the bloodiest the driver rammed past
chapters of the country's the checkpoint as if carry-
drug-fueled guerrilla con- ing out a suicide attack —
flict. something unprecedented
The scene outside the in decades of political vio-
General Santander police lence in Colombia.
academy in southern Bo- Health authorities in Bogo-
gota was chaotic in the ta appealed for residents
immediate aftermath of to donate blood at one
the midmorning attack, the of four collection points in
biggest against a police or the capital to help treat
military facility in the capi- those injured, the majority
tal in years. of whom were rushed to a
Videos circulating on social police hospital.
media show panicked po- For decades, residents of
lice officers carrying injured Bogota lived in fear of be-
colleagues on stretchers ing caught in a bombing by
along a road strewn with Family members of victims of a bombing gather outside the entrance to the General Santander leftist rebels or Pablo Esco-
debris and body parts. In police academy where the bombing took place in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019. bar's Medellin drug cartel.
the distance, the skeletal Associated Press But as Colombia's conflict
steel remains of the truck has wound down, security
used in the attack can be pounds) of pentolite car- go unpunished." dows in apartment build- has improved and residents
seen still burning while ap- ried out the attack. He said The police said at least nine ings as far as four blocks have lowered their guard.
proaching ambulances the car had its last official people were killed, while away. While authorities had yet to
blare. mechanical revision some Bogota's health depart- "I'm sad and very worried suggest who was behind
President Ivan Duque six months ago in the east- ment said another 54 were because I don't have any the attack, and no armed
rushed back to the capital ern state of Arauca, along injured. Among the dead information about my son," group claimed responsibil-
with his top military advis- the border with Venezuela. were a Panamanian and said Trujillo, standing out- ity, attention was focused
ers from a visit to a western "This is an attack not only an Ecuadorian national. side the facility, where po- on leftist rebels from the
state to oversee the police against the young, the se- Rafael Trujillo said he was lice officers had set up a National Liberation Army,
investigation. curity forces or the police. delivering a care package taped perimeter as foren- which has been stepping
Chief Prosecutor Nestor It's an attack against soci- to his son Gerson, who en- sic specialists surveyed the up attacks on police tar-
Martinez said a man named ety," Duque said in a brief tered the school just two blast site. gets in Colombia amid a
Jose Aldemar Rojas driving statement after surveying days ago, when he was Authorities were at a loss standoff with the conserva-
a 1993 Nissan pick-up load- the blast scene. "This de- stopped in his tracks by the to explain how the vehicle tive Duque over how to re-
ed with 80 kilograms (175 mented terrorist act will not blast that destroyed win- slipped through a gate per- start stalled peace talks.q

Unbearable stench: Giant sewage spill befouls Peru's capital

the government to declare Vizcarra said the pipe is hectares (20 acres) of the
a health emergency in one buried at a depth of nine borough, reaching depths
of the most populous parts meters (30 feet) and it "be- of two meters (6½ feet), of-
of Peru's capital. gan to sink," with dirty water ficials said.
The foul flood was caused flowing into low-lying areas "We are worried by the
by a blockage in a giant of San Juan de Lurigancho, pollution," said resident Os-
pipe that collects 80 per- which has more than 1 mil- waldo Vasquez. Neighbors
cent of the sewage in the lion inhabitants. complained of dirty water
San Juan de Lurigancho More than 100 police of- coming out of their taps
district. Adding a political ficers rode horses through and toilets.
element, the pipe was relo- the waters while dozens While officials have not yet
cated about six years ago of giant suction machines determined who is respon-
by Odebrecht, the Brazilian pulled up sewage. sible for the flooding, Viz-
construction giant that is at Maria Cruz, 80, cried as she carra said the builder of a
the heart of a corruption used a bucket of clean wa- public works project is re-
scandal engulfing elites ter to wash two small dolls sponsible for any defect in
across Latin America, in- that had adorned the top it for the next seven years.
City water workers drain a street filled with sewage water in the
San Juan de Lurigancho district of Lima, Peru, Wednesday, Jan. cluding Peru. of her wedding cake de- "And this project doesn't
16, 2019. "It has become clogged: cades ago. have seven years," he add-
Associated Press strange material has en- "You can't even breath ed.
tered the collector," said here," she said. Mayra Cardenas of the
Associated Press lice and soldiers struggled President Martin Vizcarra, The flooding began Sun- communications office
LIMA, Peru (AP) — Amid Wednesday to contain who pledged to find those day when millions of liters of Odebrecht's office in
an unbearable stench, and clean up a flood of responsible and declared (gallons) of sewage spilled Peru said: "We will not
thousands of workers, po- sewage that has caused a health emergency. across more than eight comment."q