12 die in bomb as Colombia's Uribe sworn in

At least 12 people were killed

At least 12 people were killed

and 20 injured when a bomb exploded close to where Mr Alvaro Uribe was sworn in as Colombia’s new president.

Mr Alvaro Uribe following his election last May

Mr Uribe was sworn in for a four-year term, replacing current incumbent Mr Andres Pastrana. He won a landslide victory in May elections with his zero tolerance stance towards the country's various rebel groups.

He barely escaped a rebel assassination attempt in April, when a bomb blast buckled his armored car and killed four other people.

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Argentine President Eduardo Duhalde, Ecuadoran President Gustavo Noboa, Honduran President Ricardo Maduro and Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso were all in Bogota to attend the inauguration.

Around 20,000 police officers and soldiers were deployed across Bogota for the ceremony, while Colombian air force planes and a US Customs aircraft provided additional aerial protection.

AFP