Pubdate: Fri, 06 Jan 2006
Source: Toronto Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2006 The Toronto Star
Contact:  http://www.thestar.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/456
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

COLOMBIA CLASHES LEAVE 16 DEAD

VISTA HERMOSA, Colombia  -- Fourteen guerrillas and two soldiers were 
killed in clashes in an area of southern Colombia that the government 
is trying to clear of rebels before launching a coca-eradication 
campaign, an army spokesman said.

Fighting between the army and a faction of the Revolutionary Armed 
Forces of Colombia, or FARC, Colombia's oldest guerrilla group, broke 
out on the edge of Sierra Macarena National Park, not far from where 
29 soldiers were killed by the rebels last month.

Government forces are trying to rid the zone of rebels before 
large-scale coca-eradication begins Jan. 20. Coca is the raw material 
used to make cocaine.

The two soldiers were killed while traversing a minefield and six 
soldiers were injured during the fighting that left 14 rebels dead, 
Gen. Luis Coronado said.

President Alvaro Uribe, visiting Meta province last month, vowed to 
wipe out coca in the area following the surprise ambush and massacre 
of 29 soldiers who were in the area to protect eradication crews.

That guerrilla assault was the deadliest since Uribe took office 
three years ago. Many fear the wave of violence will worsen ahead of 
May's presidential elections.

The FARC, financed in large part by drug-trafficking, have been 
waging a war to overthrow the government for more than four decades.

Separately, in Putumayo province, near Colombia's southern border 
with Ecuador, police organized caravans Friday to protect weary 
motorists near where FARC rebels bombed oil installations and three 
energy towers over New Year's.

The attacks left the sparsely populated province without power for 
days and caused thousands of litres of crude to spill into three 
pristine rivers.

Work crews protected by military units expected to have full power 
restored by Monday to 200,000 residents still without electricity, 
Putumayo's state-run energy distributor said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman