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☆ Ecuador presidential rivals agree tough stance on crime, differ on economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-02 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Leftist Luisa Gonzalez, a lawyer and protege of former president Rafael Correa and young businessman Daniel Noboa will compete in a run-off vote on Oct. 15. Gonzalez won the first round with almost 34% of the votes while Noboa took a surprise second place. Both candidates promised in Sunday's debate to get tough on organized crime gangs, to strengthen the security forces and to seek international help to tackle spiraling insecurity. Gonzalez pledged to boost oil production and reiterated plans to inject $2.5 billion of international reserves into the economy. However, he also clarified that a previous proposal to use $1.5 billion of international reserves was for worst-case scenarios only.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Daniel Noboa, Karen Toro, Rafael Correa, Gonzalez, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, El, Thomson Locations: Quito, Ecuador, Rights QUITO

☆ Ecuador Presidential Rivals Agree Tough Stance on Crime, Differ on Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Gonzalez won the first round with almost 34% of the votes while Noboa took a surprise second place. Outgoing President Guillermo Lasso called early elections in May when he dissolved the legislature to avoid an impeachment process. Both candidates promised in Sunday's debate to get tough on organized crime gangs, to strengthen the security forces and to seek international help to tackle spiraling insecurity. Gonzalez pledged to boost oil production and reiterated plans to inject $2.5 billion of international reserves into the economy. However, he also clarified that a previous proposal to use $1.5 billion of international reserves was for worst-case scenarios only.

Persons: Alexandra Valencia, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Daniel Noboa, Gonzalez, Noboa, Guillermo Lasso, Oliver Griffin Organizations: Alexandra Valencia QUITO, El

☆ Swedish furniture maker IKEA to open first Colombia store
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The IKEA logo is seen outside an IKEA furniture store in Brussels, Belgium June 13, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Swedish furniture maker IKEA will this week open its biggest South American store in Colombia, as part of an international expansion plan which includes growth in Peru and Chile with an investment worth $600 million, an executive said on Wednesday. The Colombia store, to be opened on Thursday in the capital Bogota, will be the first in the country and will span three floors with 40 exhibition rooms. "The opening of our first store in Colombia is part of the brand's plan to establish nine stores in Chile, Colombia and Peru over the next 10 years," Hasbleidy Castaneda, IKEA's manager in Colombia, said in an interview. The investment plan includes opening two more stores in Colombia next year, to be located in Medellin and Cali, the country's second and third-largest cities respectively.

Persons: Yves Herman, Hasbleidy Castaneda, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, David Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, IKEA, Thomson Locations: Brussels, Belgium, Rights BOGOTA, Swedish, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Mexico, Dominican Republic

☆ Son of Colombia's president to face trial over money laundering -attorney general's office
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Defendant and son of Colombian president Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Petro attends a hearing in Bogota, Colombia August 3, 2023 in this screengrab taken from a handout video. Colombian Prosecutor's Office/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Nicolas Petro, the son of Colombia's President Gustavo Petro, will face trial for alleged crimes of illicit enrichment and money laundering while serving as a politician in the province of Atlantico, the attorney general's office said on Monday. A written indictment against Petro was filed in the Criminal Courts of the Specialized Circuit of Barranquilla, the attorney general's office said in a statement. According to the charges, Nicolas Petro received money from accused drug traffickers in exchange for including them in the president's peace plans. The president has denied awareness of any illegal activities and said he will continue with his administration's policy plans.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Petro, Petro, Daysuris del Carmen Vasquez, Oliver Griffin, Luis Jaime Acosta, Michael Perry Organizations: Colombian Prosecutor's, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Atlantico, Barranquilla, Barraquilla

☆ Costa Rica president to visit Panama amid migration crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( Elida Moreno | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles speaks during his joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron (not pictured) at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 24 March 2023. Yoan Valat/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsPANAMA CITY, Sept 23 (Reuters) - Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves will visit Panama's Darien Gap in early October in an effort to contain a migrant crisis, both countries said on Saturday. Some 390,000 people have crossed to Panama from Colombia, traversing the Darien Gap, between January and September. Most of them are Venezuelans, with others from Ecuador, Haiti and other countries, according to Panama's Ministry of Security. Reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by William MallardOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Rodrigo Chaves Robles, Emmanuel Macron, Yoan, Costa, Rodrigo Chaves, Public Security Juan Pino, Mario Zamora, Elida Moreno, Oliver Griffin, William Mallard Organizations: Costa Rica, PANAMA CITY, Panama's, Public Security, Costa, Panama's Ministry of Security, Thomson Locations: Costa, Paris, France, PANAMA, Darien, Costa Rican, United States, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama City

☆ Evo Morales announces candidacy for 2025 Bolivia presidential elections
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Bolivia's President Luis Arce and former President Evo Morales attend an ancestral ceremony to ring in the Aymara New Year, in Tiwanaku, Bolivia June 21, 2022. REUTERS/Manuel Claure/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 24 (Reuters) - Former Bolivia President Evo Morales will stand in the South American country's elections in 2025, he said on Sunday in a message on social media platform X, adding that he has been "obliged" by attacks against him. The announcement confirms a rift between Morales, one of Latin America's most prominent leftists, and Bolivia's sitting President Luis Arce, his former economy minister turned rival within the ruling MAS party. Morales fled the country and claimed he was the victim of a right-wing "coup" that was backed by the United States. After an 11-month caretaker government, Arce won a landslide election victory in October 2020, paving the way for Morales to return home.

Persons: Luis Arce, Evo Morales, Manuel Claure, Morales, Bolivia's, I've, Arce, Oliver Griffin, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, MAS, Thomson Locations: Aymara, Tiwanaku, Bolivia, United States

☆ Chile raises alert for Villarrica volcano to amber
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A general view of the Villarrica volcano seen from Villarrica area, Chile, December 1, 2022. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSept 24 (Reuters) - Chile's National Geology and Mining Service, Sernageomin, on Sunday raised the alert level for the Villarrica volcano from yellow to amber, citing a gradual increase in volcanic activity. One of South America's most active volcanoes, Villarrica has a 200 meter-wide open crater and last erupted in 2015, sparking a mass evacuation but ultimately no injuries. An amber alert means there is a greater probability that an eruption will take place in the coming days or weeks. Reporting by Oliver Griffin in Bogota Editing by Matthew LewisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ivan Alvarado, Oliver Griffin, Matthew Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Mining Service, Thomson Locations: Chile, Bogota

☆ Colombia Poverty Fell in 2022, Extreme Poverty Rose Slightly -Gov't
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Poverty levels in Colombia declined slightly in 2022, according to a report from the government's DANE statistics agency, although the proportion of people living in extreme poverty rose slightly. The share of Colombians living in poverty fell to 36.6% in 2022 - equivalent to 18.3 million people in the country of 50 million - down from 39.7% in 2021, the agency said in a report on Friday. However, while poverty declined overall, the share of the population living in extreme poverty rose slightly to 13.8% last year, from 13.7% in 2021, DANE said, adding that 6.9 million people were living in extreme poverty in Colombia in 2022. President Gustavo Petro, Colombia's first leftist leader, took power in August last year after winning an election with promises to fight poverty and inequality and to increase access to healthcare, among other pledges. According to the report, DANE defines poverty as those surviving on some $3.30 a day, while those in extreme poverty live on around $1.65 a day or less.

Persons: DANE, Gustavo Petro, Colombia's, Oliver Griffin, Alistair Bell Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia

☆ Venezuela Completes First Phase of Retaking Control of Prisons Run by Prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

By Efrain OteroTOCORON, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuela has completed the first phase of regaining control of its prison system, Interior Minister Remigio Ceballos said on Saturday, speaking at the Aragua jail near Tocoron, just days after security forces seized the prison that was infamously run by prisoners. The jail had restaurants, bars and even outdoor swimming pools, among other luxuries, and it was the operating center for feared criminal gang Tren de Aragua, according to Venezuela's government. The jail housed 1,600 inmates, Ceballos said, adding that most have already been relocated to other prisons across the country. Authorities have also recaptured some 88 members of Tren de Aragua who escaped during the raid by security forces, which took place on Wednesday. Following the raid, the Tren de Aragua has been totally dismantled, Ceballos said, without explaining further.

Persons: Efrain Otero TOCORON, Remigio Ceballos, Tren, Ceballos, Efrain Otero, Oliver Griffin, Josie Kao Organizations: Authorities Locations: Venezuela, Tocoron, Aragua

☆ Costa Rica President to Visit Panama Amid Migration Crisis
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-23 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

By Elida MorenoPANAMA CITY (Reuters) - Costa Rica's President Rodrigo Chaves will visit Panama's Darien Gap in early October in an effort to contain a migrant crisis, both countries said on Saturday. Panama's Minister of Public Security Juan Pino and his Costa Rican counterpart, Mario Zamora, on Saturday visited communities in the dangerous stretch of jungle, where thousands of migrants pass each day on their way toward the United States. Some 390,000 people have crossed to Panama from Colombia, traversing the Darien Gap, between January and September. Most of them are Venezuelans, with others from Ecuador, Haiti and other countries, according to Panama's Ministry of Security. (Reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by William Mallard)

Persons: Elida Moreno, Costa, Rodrigo Chaves, Public Security Juan Pino, Mario Zamora, Oliver Griffin, William Mallard Organizations: Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY, Panama's, Public Security, Costa, Panama's Ministry of Security Locations: Darien, Costa Rican, United States, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama City

☆ Ecuador nature reserve will take years to recover after oil exit-minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A pipeline of state-owned Petroecuador is pictured as Ecuador is preparing to shut down oil production in the Yasuni Amazon reserve, in Via Auca, Orellana province, Ecuador July 28, 2023. Ecuador is preparing to shut down block 43-ITT, which is operated by state-owned Petroecuador, after a majority of Ecuadoreans voted to close the project in August. While oil wells have been closed before, Ecuador has no experience in abandoning an entire block of this size, which includes three fields and about 230 operating wells, he said. Environmentalists and some communities nearby insist that prohibiting future oil operations and other extractive industries is the only way to take care of nature and curb climate change. While some groups have demanded the immediate cessation of operations at 43-ITT, Davalos said an orderly closure was necessary.

Persons: Karen Toro, Jose Davalos, Ecuadoreans, Guillermo Lasso, Davalos, Petroecuador, Alexandra Valencia, Chizu, Oliver Griffin Organizations: REUTERS, ITT, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Ecuador, Via Auca, Orellana province, QUITO

☆ Colombia gov't, largest FARC dissident group to begin peace talks
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Then Colombian presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota, Colombia, April 10, 2018. REUTERS/Jaime Saldarriaga/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Colombia's government and the Estado Mayor Central (EMC), the largest FARC dissident group, on Tuesday said in a joint statement they would begin peace talks on Oct. 8 and start a 10-month bilateral, national ceasefire on the same day. The EMC was founded by dissident former members of the now-demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels, who reject a 2016 peace deal signed by that group. Colombia's government in May suspended a national ceasefire with the EMC in some areas of the Andean country following the murder of four Indigenous teenagers. The government is also in peace talks with the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels and the two sides have also agreed a bilateral ceasefire.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Jaime Saldarriaga, Gustavo Petro's, Oliver Griffin, Sandra Maler Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Estado Mayor Central, FARC, EMC, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Segunda Marquetalia, National Liberation Army, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA

☆ More than 50 Colombian state, private entities hit by cyberattack -Petro
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 18 (Reuters) - More than 50 Colombian state entities and private companies were hit by a cyber attack last week, Colombian President Gustavo Petro told journalists in New York. Internet service provider IFX Networks last week reported it was the victim of a ransomware attack, which saw dozens of Colombian organizations affected. Without naming the company, Petro said the wider impact of the attack showed IFX Networks did not have the right "cybersecurity measures" in place and put the company in breach of its contracts. Earlier on Monday, Colombia's Minister for Information, Technology and Communications Mauricio Lizcano said on messaging platform X that he had ordered administrative actions to be launched against IFX Networks. "We are coordinating ... a civil lawsuit and possibly a criminal case (against the company)," Lizcano said.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Petro, Communications Mauricio Lizcano, Lizcano, Oliver Griffin, Timothy Gardner Organizations: IFX Networks, Colombia's, Information, Technology, Communications, Thomson Locations: Colombian, New York

☆ Colombia Was Deadliest Country for Environmentalists in 2022 -Advocacy Group
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Oliver GriffinBOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia was the deadliest country for environmentalists in 2022, with at least 60 environmental and land rights defenders killed there, British advocacy group Global Witness said in a report on Tuesday. Global Witness found at least 177 environmentalists were killed globally last year. The findings returned Colombia to the top of the list of deadliest countries for environmentalists after killings declined in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020. "The ratification of the Escazu agreement by the Constitutional Court is fundamental," Muhamad said. The only two countries not from Latin America to be included in the 10 most dangerous for environmentalists were the Philippines and Indonesia, Global Witness said.

Persons: Oliver Griffin BOGOTA, Laura Furones, Gustavo Petro, Susana Muhamad, Muhamad, Oliver Griffin, Grant McCool Organizations: Global, Environmental, Constitutional Locations: Colombia, America, Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia

REUTERS/Emilie Madi/ Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Colombia was the deadliest country for environmentalists in 2022, with at least 60 environmental and land rights defenders killed there, British advocacy group Global Witness said in a report on Tuesday. Global Witness found at least 177 environmentalists were killed globally last year. The findings returned Colombia to the top of the list of deadliest countries for environmentalists after killings declined in 2021 compared to 2019 and 2020. Brazil and Mexico were the second and third most deadly countries for environmentalists in 2022, the report found, with at least 34 and 31 killings respectively. The only two countries not from Latin America to be included in the 10 most dangerous for environmentalists were the Philippines and Indonesia, Global Witness said.

Persons: Susana Muhamad, Emilie Madi, Laura Furones, Gustavo Petro, Muhamad, Oliver Griffin, Grant McCool Organizations: Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Global, Environmental, Constitutional, Thomson Locations: Red, el, Sheikh, Egypt, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia, America, Costa Rica, Brazil, Mexico, Philippines, Indonesia

REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCompanies Ecopetrol SA FollowBOGOTA, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Colombia's government is considering revising rules to make majority state-run energy company Ecopetrol (ECO.CN) an obligatory partner in every offshore wind project, three people familiar with the matter told Reuters. If approved, the revision would make it "mandatory for Ecopetrol to take part in each offshore project," another source told Reuters. Having Ecopetrol partner up with other companies on offshore wind farms would "minimize the risks of new projects" one of the sources said, adding that the size of any given Ecopetrol stake would be "very, very small," without hinting at possible percentages. Ecopetrol's involvement in offshore wind projects would help shore up energy self sufficiency, another of the sources said. Plans to hold the bidding round to assign maritime blocks for offshore wind farms are running behind.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Gustavo Petro, Colombia's, Energy Irene Velez, Andres Camacho, Oliver Griffin, Timothy Gardner Organizations: REUTERS, Reuters, The, of Mines, Energy, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, BOGOTA, Colombia's

☆ Colombia Potential Cocaine Output Rose 24% in 2022 - UN
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Also at a more than 20-year high was potential cocaine output, which rose 24% to 1,738 metric tonnes. Coca is the chief ingredient in cocaine, whose production has fueled the Andean country's six-decade armed conflict, which has killed at least 450,000 people. Petro's government wants to help rural communities voluntarily substitute some 100,000 hectares of coca crops over the next four years, an official told Reuters recently. The government wants to reduce cultivation areas to 150,000 hectares and production capacity to 900 metric tonnes by 2026, Osuna said. Some 13% of Colombia's annual deforestation is linked to illicit crops, Environment Minister Susana Muhamad told a drugs conference last week.

Persons: Candice Welsch, Welsch, Gustavo Petro, Colombia's, Nestor Osuna, Osuna, Susana Muhamad, oversupply, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Julia Symmes Cobb, Richard Chang Organizations: United Nations Office, Drugs, Reuters, UN, Food Locations: BOGOTA, Colombia, Putumayo province, Ecuador

☆ Ecuador Youth Choosing Gangs as Route Out of Poverty, UN Expert Says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Lawlessness has soared across Ecuador since the coronavirus pandemic, something outgoing President Guillermo Lasso blames on disputes related to drug trafficking and common crime. Some 27% of Ecuadoreans live in poverty, while 10.8% live in extreme poverty on a national level, according to the government's statistics office. Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, said impoverished youth were easy picking for gangs looking to recruit new members. Lasso, who brought forward elections to avoid impeachment, has repeatedly declared states of emergency in answer to outbreaks of violence. "We need a social Bukele, one that takes seriously the links between poverty and the rise in violence," he added.

Persons: Alexandra Valencia, Ecuadoreans, Guillermo Lasso, Olivier De Schutter, De Schutter, Lasso, Nayib Bukele, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Daniel Noboa, Oliver Griffin, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Alexandra Valencia QUITO, UN, United Nations, Central American Locations: Ecuador, U.S, El Salvador

☆ Ecuador youth choosing gangs as route out of poverty, UN expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Persons: Guillermo Lasso, Santiago Arcos, Ecuadoreans, Olivier De Schutter, De Schutter, Lasso, Nayib Bukele, Luisa Gonzalez, Rafael Correa, Daniel Noboa, Alexandra Valencia, Oliver Griffin, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, UN, United Nations, Central American, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Santiago, Rights QUITO, U.S, El Salvador

☆ Colombia airline Avianca to invest $473 mln to grow fleet by 16 planes
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The exterior of the Avianca administrative office is pictured, as officers from Colombia's attorney general's office conduct a raid inside, in Bogota, Colombia February 12, 2020. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Colombia's flag-carrier airline Avianca will invest $473 million to grow its fleet by 16 aircraft as it looks to increase the number of routes on offer, Chief Executive Adrian Neuhauser said on Thursday. Avianca will lease 14 Airbus A320 NEO planes and two A320 CEO planes to push its daily flights on domestic routes up by almost 25%, from 600 to 750. Neuhaser during a press conference in Colombia's Bogota called the increase of almost 1 million weekly seats "unprecedented growth" in the airline's history. The 16 planes will join Avianca's fleet between October and the end of December, the executive said.

Persons: general's, Luisa Gonzalez, Adrian Neuhauser, Avianca, Neuhaser, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Mark Porter Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Viva Air, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia's Bogota, Avianca's, Colombian

☆ Colombia banks call for measures to help liquidity squeeze
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

BOGOTA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's banks have called on the country's central bank to tackle liquidity issues amid lower-than-expected government spending and compliance with international regulatory framework Basel III, which strengthens bank risk management. Analysts attribute the financial system's decrease in liquidity to the government's slower budgetary spending and higher tax collection. The funds are stored in the central bank and have not flowed into the economy. Furthermore, banks are required to retain a certain level of reserves under Basel III, adding to the liquidity strain, Asobancaria said. The liquidity needs of banks have seen commercial interest rates rise above the central bank's benchmark rate of 13.25%.

Persons: Asobancaria, Nelson Bocanegra, Oliver Griffin, Josie Kao Organizations: Basel III, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Basel, Colombian

☆ Colombia attorney general stands by claim that ELN rebels plan to kill him
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Francisco Barbosa, Colombian Attorney General speaks during an interview with Reuters in Bogota, Colombia March 24, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Aug 23 (Reuters) - Colombia's attorney general on Wednesday defended the credibility of intelligence reports that ELN rebels were plotting to kill him and two other people despite denials by the ELN and military. Two weeks ago, Attorney General Francisco Barbosa reported that the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group planned to assassinate him using a sniper. The ELN has denied it planned the attacks, while Colombia's government has said it had no received no such reports. For two years, intelligence sources have known about the ELN's plan to carry out an attack in Bogota, the attorney general's statement said.

Persons: Francisco Barbosa, Luisa Gonzalez, General Francisco Barbosa, Maria Fernanda Cabal, Eduardo Zapateiro, ELN, Barbosa, Ivan Velasquez, Antonio Garcia, Luis Jaime Acosta, Oliver Griffin, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Colombian, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Wednesday, National Liberation Army, Democratic Center, Defense, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia's

Six suspects, all Colombians police say belong to criminal gangs, are being held in the murder. Other candidates have reported attacks against them, though in several cases police have said that violence was not directed at the hopefuls themselves. Luisa Gonzalez, a protegee of Correa, led polling before Villavicencio's murder with about 30% of voting intention. Pro-market candidate Otto Sonnenholzner has hardened his discourse since Villavicencio's murder, repeatedly promising that criminals who use violence will be shot by police under his government. "The new president must propose things that are real, not just words," said university student Menaly Luge, 18, who is voting for Villavicencio's Construye party.

Persons: Otto Sonnenholzner, Christian Zurita, Luisa Gonzalez, Fernando Villavicencio, Monica Barba, Rafael Correa, Correa, Daniel Noboa, Alvaro Noboa, Yaku Perez, Villavicencio's, Zurita, Alexandra Valencia, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, William Mallard Organizations: Law, French Foreign Legion, Thomson Locations: Guayaquil, Ecuador, Quito, QUITO

☆ Magnitude 6.3 quake shakes Colombian capital, buildings evacuated
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] People stand on a street after a strong earthquake shook Colombian capital Bogota, prompting evacuations of offices and restaurants, in Bogota, Colombia, August 17, 2023. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez Acquire Licensing RightsBOGOTA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake struck the Colombian capital Bogota on Thursday, reaching a 6.3 magnitude according to the U.S. Geological Survey, prompting frightened residents to flee homes, offices and restaurants. The initial quake was followed by aftershocks minutes later as people crowded the city's streets. Colombia's national geological service estimated the second quake at a 5.6 magnitude, with the following aftershock measured at 4.8. Colombia's civil defense agency noted residents had been evacuated in the entire municipality of Calvario, in Meta, southeast of the high-altitude capital.

Persons: Luisa Gonzalez, Adrian Alarcon, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Alistair Bell Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, . Geological Survey, Windows, Thomson Locations: Colombian, Bogota, Colombia, Rights BOGOTA, Calvario, Meta, Villavicencio

☆ Magnitude 6.3 quake shakes Colombian capital, one dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BOGOTA, Aug 17 (Reuters) - A strong earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck the Colombian capital Bogota on Thursday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, prompting frightened residents to flee into the street and leading a woman to fall to her death. There were no immediate reports of major damage from the quake, which Colombia's national geological service reported as a magnitude 6.1. "It was strong, and lasted a long time, said Adrian Alarcon, 43, who works near the capital's busy Park 93 district. [1/5]A Medical personnel of the Primavera clinic helps to evacuate patients after a strong earthquake in Villavicencio, Colombia, August 17, 2023. Colombia's national geological service estimated the second quake at a 5.6 magnitude, with the following aftershock measured at 4.8.

Persons: Adrian Alarcon, Claudia Lopez, Santiago Molina, Lopez, Julia Symmes Cobb, Oliver Griffin, Luis Jaime Acosta, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Alistair Bell Organizations: . Geological Survey, Primavera, REUTERS, Windows, Thomson Locations: BOGOTA, Colombian, Bogota, Villavicencio, Colombia, Madelena, Calvario

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