Colombia Foils Rebel Plot To
Attack Presidential Palace
BOGOTA - Colombia foiled a plot of the
rebels to attack the upcoming inauguration
ceremony of President-elect Juan Manuel
Santos at the presidential palace and
arrested two rebel militants, an official
from the Prosecutor's Office said on
Tuesday.
Colombia's security authorities have
detained two suspected members of the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC),
the country's largest rebel group, who was
apparently plotting an attack on the
inauguration of President-elect Santos on
Aug. 7, said the official from the country's
prosecutor's office.
One of the FARC militants was captured with
mortar shells, maps and models of the Narino
presidential palace, which were hidden in a
house located a few miles from the
presidential palace in St. Elizabeth
neighborhood of Bogota, the official told
Xinhua.
"The authorities are evaluating all the
evidence found to determine if the
guerrillas intended to carry out an attack
against the Presidential Palace on Aug. 7,"
he said.
The arrested will stand trial at court, he
said.
Meanwhile, an officer of the presidential
palace guards said it was too early to say
that the arrested militants belonged to the
FARC.
Final analysis needed to be done to the
captured documents to confirm who was
behind, the officer said.
On Aug. 7, 2002, FARC rebels fired several
mortar shells at the presidential palace
during President Alvaro Uribe swearing-in
ceremony, killing 19 people, injuring at
least 50 others.
Santos, who won the run-off elections on
June 20, has vowed to continue to fight
against drug trafficking and terrorism to
safeguard security.
Santos said he will continue with the "hits
to drug trafficking, terrorism and continue
fighting for security" for all the Colombian
people. |
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