Colombia: explosion kills four students

An Oct. 24 explosion at the University of Atlantico left four students dead and four wounded in the city of Barranquilla, capital of Atlantico department on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. (Some sources say three students were killed and five wounded.) The police announced on Oct. 25 that the wounded students would be investigated for their presumed responsibility in the explosion. Another two students have also been arrested in connection with the incident.

A message posted to Colombia Indymedia suggests that the students were taking part in a meeting at the university’s baseball stadium to plan a public demonstration against the policies of the government and the university administration when the explosion occurred. It is not clear whether the students were making explosive devices, as the government has implied; experts haven’t ruled out the possibility of an attack. Some 1,000 students and professors took part in a funeral march for the victims. (Yahoo Noticias/Europa Press, Oct. 25; Message from Jorge Freytter Franco-Jorge Freytter Florian, Oct. 28 on Indymedia; Message from “Violeta” of Juventud Comunista del Atlantico, Oct. 27 on Colombia Indymedia)

From Weekly News Update on the Americas, Oct. 29

See our last post on terror in Colombia.