Colombia murder plot uncovered

President Pastrana has displeased the right-wing groups

By Jeremy McDermott in Bogota

Colombian secret police say they have thwarted a plot by right-wing paramilitaries to assassinate President Andres Pastrana.

The government has been talking to FARC rebels to little avail

Colonel German Jaramillo, a head of the Colombian secret police (Das), said that the plan had been to kill the President as he visited the western city of Armenia at the end of July.

The visit was cancelled but news of the assassination plot was kept secret until now so that the alleged gunman could be captured.

And two men believed to be members of the right wing paramilitaries of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Auc) have been arrested in connection with the plot.

Death squads

The AUC, which numbers up to 10,000 fighters, is an alliance of right-wing death squads formed to fight Marxist guerrillas.

It is funded by rich land owners and industrialists, who have long been the frequent targets of guerrilla kidnappings and extortion.

It is deeply involved in the drugs trade.

Car bombs and kidnappings are a feature of Colombia's unrest

The AUC has long criticised President Pastrana for giving too many concessions to their sworn enemies, the left-wing guerrillas, and getting nothing in return.

In a recent letter addressed to the president they said they would launch attacks against a government-granted rebel safe haven of the FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, unless the guerrillas called a ceasefire.

Such an action would put in peril the entire peace process, which after three years has yet to show any concrete progress.

Instead, there have been record levels of violence and kidnapping.