New Colombian Mayors defy violence

Almost one thousand new mayors in Colombia are due to take office today amid fears caused by continuing death threats to a number of them.

The new officials were elected in local elections last October after a campaign of violence by left-wing guerrilla groups, which killed about thirty candidates.

Several hundred people were kidnapped, and almost two-thousand candidates withdrew from the contest after receiving threats.

Right-wing paramilitaries have also threatened some of the new officials.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service