Six bus passengers shot to death in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Six bus passengers shot to death in Colombia
Posted : Thu, 19 Feb 2009 23:11:58 GMT

Bogota - Six bus passengers were shot to death after armed criminals stopped a bus travelling in the south-western province of Narino, officials said Thursday. The thugs stopped the bus on the road between the provincial capital of Pasto and the Pacific harbour town of Tumaco, police said.

They then boarded the bus and read out names from a list, pulled the people from the bus and shot them. The motive for the attack was not known, but the circumstances indicated that right-wing paramilitary fighters were involved.

William Montezuma, police chief of Nariono, said it appeared that the victims were merchants who wanted to sell their wares at Carnival in Tumaco.

The Pasto-Tumaco stretch of road is infamous for such violent events. It serves as the main smuggling route for export of illegal drugs and import of illegal weapons, via the harbour town.


http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/256609,six-bus-passengers-shot-to-death-in-colombia.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. Did you know there are US soldiers stationed in Tolemaida Air Base in Colombia?

Looking for more on this story in a search, found this older story from 2007:

Colombia: US Military Personnel Accused of Sexually Assaulting 12 Year-old Girl
Written by Micheál Ó Tuathail
Tuesday, 09 October 2007

Local Colombian officials have accused two US soldiers, Michael J. Cohen and César Ruiz, of sexually assaulting a 12 year-old girl on Saturday August 25, 2007. The soldiers are stationed at the Tolemaida Airbase near Melgar, Tolima, as part of Plan Colombia.

According to witness statements collected by local authorities and published in El Tiempo, at 4am, the soldiers entered the base with a young girl they had met at the 'Ibiza' nightclub in Melgar earlier that evening. The girl claims that Ruiz assaulted her in the car on the way to the base and later lent his apartment to Cohen, who reportedly raped her.

The pair later left the girl in the central park in Melgar in front of several witnesses.

The case was reported to the authorities on 8 September 2007. According to Paula Rueda, a psychologist from the Comisaría de Familia in Melgar, "there was, without a doubt, sexual intercourse."

Although the investigation is still underway, Cohen, using the diplomatic immunity granted him under Plan Colombia, has fled the country. The Colombia Support Network, an US-based Colombia solidarity organization, claims that Cohen's flight was facilitated by the US government, an action which "appears to put US military personnel above the law must be rescinded."

While sexual assault of someone under the age of 14 carries a jail sentence of up to 30 years in prison, Colombian authorities are hesitant to seek Cohen's extradition due to the special provisions provided US personnel under Plan Colombia and a 1974 bi-lateral agreement.

http://upsidedownworld.org/main/content/view/930/68/

[Bacchus39]

2. you posted that story way back and tried to make a case to oppose the FTA

with Colombia which of course made no sense whatsoever.

and yes, I knew American soldiers are in Colombia. who didn't know? did you know there are American bases in Ecuador, Honduras, Germany, and Japan?

[Bacchus39]

3. yes, here it is. I found it. how about that???

How this would result in further "punishment" for Colombia is beyond comprehension but here is your bizarre logic at work:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=printer_friendly&forum=405&topic_id=340

They won't get much help from the Congress if stories like this get proper exposure.
Posted by Judi Lynn on Wed Oct-17-07 07:39 PM

Colombia: US troops accused in sexual assault of girl, 12
Submitted by WW4 Report on Tue, 10/16/2007 - 17:22.
Local Colombian officials have accused two US soldiers, Michael J. Cohen and César Ruiz, of sexually assaulting a 12 year-old girl on Aug. 25. The soldiers are stationed at the Tolemaida Airbase near Melgar, Tolima, as part of Plan Colombia. According to witness statements collected by local authorities and published in El Tiempo , at 4 AM, the soldiers entered the base with a young girl they had met at the "Ibiza" nightclub in Melgar earlier that evening. The girl claims that Ruiz assaulted her in the car on the way to the base and later lent his apartment to Cohen, who reportedly raped her. The pair later left the girl in the central park in Melgar in front of several witnesses.

The case was reported to the authorities on 8 September 2007. According to Paula Rueda, a psychologist from the Comisaría de Familia in Melgar, "there was, without a doubt, sexual intercourse."

Although the investigation is still underway, Cohen, using the diplomatic immunity granted him under Plan Colombia, has fled the country. The Colombia Support Network, an US-based Colombia solidarity organization, claims that Cohen's flight was facilitated by the US government, an action which "appears to put US military personnel above the law must be rescinded."

While sexual assault of someone under the age of 14 carries a jail sentence of up to 30 years in prison, Colombian authorities are hesitant to seek Cohen's extradition due to the special provisions provided US personnel under Plan Colombia and a 1974 bi-lateral agreement. Ruiz, however, remains stationed in Colombia.

[Judi Lynn]

5. Wasn't talking to you. What would be the point?

As for your claim I was "bizarre" in pointing out the inappropriateness of the U.S. spiriting people out of Colombia who had been involved in the rape of a 14 year old kid, so they were not allowed to stand for trial, this is truly a matter in which I would agree with your President _Bush in saying, "Who cares what you think?"

[roody]

4. Though the School of the Americas will soon be closed,

most training of Columbian soldiers by US armed forces now takes place in Columbia. The public cannot get the names of those the US is training, not here in US nor in other countries. We need the names.

[Judi Lynn]

6. Didn't know they moved a lot of the training there. Sneaky!

Hoping you are right about the School of the Assassins closing soon. It's about time, not a moment too soon. What took them so long, the grieving people of Latin America, and the Caribbean are wondering.