A leftist politician, Carlos Bernal,  was murdered in Cucuta, 400 kilometers northeast of the capital. Right wing rebels are the chief suspects, as Bernal was prominent in the campaign to have rightist rebels condemned for human rights abuses (at the expense of investigations into the same kind of mayhem by leftist rebels.)

In the United States, police arrested a FARC official who was trying to buy $4 million worth of weapons. Carlos Gamarra Murillo was caught in a sting operation and had $1.5 million worth of cocaine with him when he was arrested. Murillo  war trying to buy portable anti-aircraft missiles, as well as assault rifles, grenades and other weapons.