Bogota, Eleven people were killed and 81 injured Friday when a gasoline pipeline exploded in the west-central Colombian town of Dosquebradas, authorities said. "It's a very sad morning," Mayor Luz Ensue?o Betancourt said. The Attorney General's Office and technicians from state oil company Ecopetrol, the owner of the pipeline, are trying to determine whether the blast was caused by equipment failure or by people trying to steal fuel from the conduit, she said. The 4.30 a.m. explosion and ensuing fire destroyed more than 30 homes and damaged dozens, forcing around 400 residents to seek temporary shelter at a school and sports complex. Doctors at hospitals in Dosquebradas and nearby Pereira, capital of Risaralda province, say 17 of the injured are in very serious condition. Mayor Betancourt said the fuel contaminated a local creek and the director of emergency services, Alfredo Mu?oz, urged residents not to use water from the area around the ...
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Bogota, Nine people - five soldiers and four crewmen - survived the crash of a military helicopter in the northern Colombian province of Cordoba, the army said. The Black Hawk helicopter went down Saturday in the San Jeronimo mountains, army aviation division commander Gen. Javier Rey said. "The crew and the passengers are fine," Rey said. The helicopter was providing support to a brigade fighting the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, guerrilla group, drug traffickers and other criminal organizations, the general said. The accident occurred after the helicopter refueled, Rey said, adding that the aircraft had problems "with a crosswind" that forced it to the ground. The crew's skill was key in preventing the helicopter from being completely destroyed, the general said. The helicopter was damaged in the accident, but it can be repaired and return to service, Rey ...
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Caracas, A top Colombian drug lord has been captured in a northern Venezuelan city. Maximiliano Bonilla Orozco, alias "Valenciano", was arrested late Sunday in Maracay, Xinhua reported. Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has praised his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez for the bilateral initiatives that led to his capture. "It is a happy coincidence he was captured last night and today we can give Colombia this good news. It is a sign that if we work together, we are going to achieve better results," Santos said Monday. Valenciano controlled "a series of structures dedicated to crime and drug trafficking, and so for us, he had become an extremely high value target", he said. Santos thanked Chavez and Venezuelan authorities for the capture. Chavez said Valenciano was wanted not only in Colombia, but also in Venezuela, as the drug lord controlled some of the region's powerful criminal rings. "I want to stress that in Venezuela we haven't allowed and we aren't going to allow the violation of our sovereignty by any drug dealer, guerrilla member, terrorist or whatever," he said. Valenciano, 39, controlled drug trafficking routes to Jamaica, Guatemala, ...
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CARACAS, VENEZUELA : The leaders of Colombia and Venezuela on Monday agreed to a series of arrangements in a number of sectors such as commerce, energy, culture, science, and technology. After five hours of meetings and reunions, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez signed the agreements at the Miraflores Palace, which is located in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Among the agreements endorsed by officials from both nations is the installation of an aluminum formwork production plant and industrial scaffolding for housing projects. An exchange of electricity supply between San Fernando de Atapo in Venezuela and Puerto Nibia in Colombia was also agreed to. In addition, a joint study will be carried out by Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. and Ecopetrol of Colombia at the Maracaibo Lake in Venezuela and the Venezuelan state of Apure. The governments further agreed on the extension of an oil duct into Panama to distribute fuel in the region. Other agreements included a memorandum of understanding for academic exchange programs and research projects into hunger and poverty. A Colombia-Venezuela strategic partnership was also agreed on in ...
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