Colombian guerrillas target trucks, infrastructure

Mar 7, 2002 12:00 PM

Petroleum transports were among the trucks targeted by guerrillas who blockaded sections of key highways in Colombia on March 5. Six people were killed and nine trucks were burned in the attacks, which were blamed on the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) and the Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN).

Four of the trucks were burned at rebel roadblocks on the highway between the Pacific port city of Buenaventura and Cali. Also in this region, the highway between Cajamarca and Armenia was blocked for 15 hours, but no vehicles were reported destroyed. Five trucks were stopped and burned in Cesar Department in the far north of the country after rebels blocked the road between Valledupar and the Caribbean port city of Santa Marta.

The FARC and ELN have been branded as terrorists by the US government. Since peace talks collapsed at the end of February, they have engaged in a murderous rampage throughout Colombia.

Scores of civilians have been killed since the terrorist offensive began. Fifty six cities have been left without power for varying periods. Telephone service has been interrupted, and water aqueducts have been attacked. Roads and bridges have been bombed, and forest fires have been set by the FARC and ELN terrorists.