Bogota - At least 200,000 people protested in the Colombian
city of Cali against violence in the South American country,
following a bomb attack in the city.
'This demonstration is an example for the whole country, it is the
first time. I have always regretted that Colombians do not protest
against violence like for example Spaniards or many other Europeans,'
said Interior Minister Carlos Holguin, in comments reported Friday.
On Thursday, demonstrators wearing white T-shirts and carrying
signs with the words 'FARC-Murderers' took to the streets of Cali,
the third-largest city in Colombia. The protest was organized by
city authorities and by the governorship of the Valle del Cauca
province.
On Monday, the explosion of a bomb before the police headquarters
in Cali claimed the life of a passer-by and injured 34 people.
The authorities blamed the attack on the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has been fighting the central
government for over 40 years. Rebels finance their activities amongst
other things through drug traffic, and continue to have substantial
military strength and some 40,000 fighters despite all efforts to
weaken them.
In the four decades of civil conflict, the government over the
past year however has moved to bring in and disarm some right-wing
paramilitary groups who have been a major factor in the violence.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur 
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