Bombs disrupt inauguration
The week's news at a glance.
Bogotá
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe declared a state of emergency this week after a rebel offensive left 100 people dead in his first few days in office. The violence began when leftist guerrillas fired mortars into the capital during Uribe’s inauguration. Two shells landed near the Presidential Palace and Congress, where Uribe was being sworn in. Uribe, who campaigned on a promise to crack down on insurgents, decreed an emergency tax to raise $778 million for two new elite military squads with 3,000 soldiers each, and 10,000 new police officers. “The nation is subject to a regime of terror in which democratic authority is sinking,” said Interior and Justice Minister Fernando Londono.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
10 things you need to know today: December 8, 2023
Daily Briefing Hunter Biden is indicted on tax evasion charges, Israel says Hamas fired rockets from 'humanitarian zones,' and more
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
'Insanity': will Rishi Sunak face another Tory leadership contest?
Today's Big Question Letters of no confidence going in as Conservative divisions come to the boil
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'No peace until Israelis and Palestinians can appreciate each other's grief'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By The Week UK Published