Colombian President Calls for U.N. to Probe Bojaya Massacre

BOGOTA, Colombia, MAY 7, 2002 (Zenit.org).- Colombian President Andrés Pastrana asked the United Nations to send a mission to investigate last week´s massacre of civilians in the church of Bojaya.

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«If massacring children, women and elderly people who were sheltering in a church is not terrorism, then I wonder what is,» Pastrana said, referring to the European Union´s decision not to include the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the list of the world´s terrorist groups.

The attack Thursday in the northwestern town left 109 people dead and 105 wounded. Another 80 people are unaccounted for. John Paul II sent a telegram to the bishop of Quibdo condemning «these new acts of terrorism.»

President Pastrana revealed that Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh told him that her country will request a review of the European Union decision.

«If the FARC continues to be seen with good eyes, if events take place such as that of Choco and no one condemns them, it will continue to commit terrorist acts,» the Colombian president said.

The Spanish government, currently occupying the rotating presidency of the EU, expressed categorically its support for the inclusion of FARC in the list of terrorist movements and individuals.
<br> The EU´s 15 member states will address the topic again later this month.

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