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Summarized by Kent Larsen
Anti-US Politics Behind Bombing Of 3 LDS Chapels In Colombia
Cali Colombia El Pais 12Apr00 N1
By Lucinda Dillon: Deseret News staff writer
CALI, COLOMBIA -- Yesterday's bombing of three LDS chapels in Cali,
Colombia was probably motivated by the political situation in
Colombia and had little to do with the LDS Church, which is often
seen as a symbol of U.S. intervention there. Police in Cali blame the
attack on the National Liberation Army (ELN), a marxist group that is
the second largest rebel group in the country.
But the timing of the bombings was also no accident, coming as
Colombia's President Andres Pastrana was in Washington, D.C. meeting
with U.S. Secretary of State Madeline Albright. The bombings also
come as part of a national campaign by the rebels against the
so-called Columbian Plan (Plan Colombia) for resolving the
three-decade-old civil conflict in Columbia and in favor of a
different plan, the National Peace Convention (Convencion Nacional de
Paz).
During President Pastrana's visit, the U.S. anti-drug czar Barry
MacCaffrey said yesterday that Colombian President Pastrana was one
of several leaders in Colombia targeted for assassination by the
rebels. But Colombian officials say they aren't sure what evidence
MacCaffrey has for this assertion, wondering if he may be referring
to a June 1999 revelation that Pastrana was a target of a plan that
led to the President changing his travel schedule.
Meanwhile, more details about the LDS Chapel bombings have become
clear. Just three chapels were damaged in the attacks, including
chapels in the Cristobal Colon, Ciudad Modelo and Las Americas
neighborhoods. A fourth chapel was saved from damage when authorities
managed to disarm the bomb left at it. In two of the cases, the bomb
was thrown at the chapels, and in the third the bomb was left at a
gate, which was damaged by the explosion. [The El Pais article has a
picture of the damage to the gate).
Police have arrested Fernando Rios Rua, 29, in connection with the
attacks, claiming that Rios Rua moved between the chapels on a
motorcycle. Police are still seeking two other men wanted for leaving
another bomb at the same time at a parking structure next to the
Central Municipal Administrative building.
Cali Mayor Ricardo Cobo said he contacted local LDS Church
authorities following the blasts to assure that they would cooperate
with the police in the investigation. He told El Pais that the
bombings were just the latest in a wave of efforts by the ELN to get
support for the National Peace Convention. "The city can't give in to
these violent acts. It is necessary for the community to collaborate
with the authorities, denouncing the unusual actions they may know
about, because the clandestine acts are an attack on everyone."
Meanwhile, LDS Church authorities in Salt Lake were just learning of
the attacks today. Church spokesman Dale Bills released the following
statement to the press on the attacks, "We are saddened to learn that
four of our chapels have been slightly damaged by terrorist bombs in
Colombia. Gratefully, the explosions caused no injuries. Such
misdirected attacks do nothing but temporarily deprive Colombian
citizens of a place to worship God as their conscience directs."
An LDS missionary contacted at the Colombia Cali Mission told the
Deseret News that one of the buildings had damage to a ceiling inside
the meetinghouse. None of the three buildings had extensive damage.
Currently the Church has about 129,000 members in Colombia in 23
stakes and four missions. Four of the stakes are in Cali, a city of 2
million and one of the major population centers in the country. The
Church once before had to remove its missionaries from Colombia, in
September 1988, because of the volatile political climate. Since then
the number of stakes in Colombia has tripled and the Bogota Colombia
Temple has been announced and completed. The Temple was dedicated
last August.
See also:
4 LDS chapels are bombed in Colombia
Deseret News 12Apr00 N1
By Lucinda Dillon: Deseret News staff writer
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