The Andino Mall bombing happened on the afternoon of 17 June 2017 in Bogotá, Colombia. Three young women were killed and 9 other people were injured.[1] One of those killed was French; the other two were Colombian. The two Colombians died in the hospital due to their injuries.[2][3][4] The bomb exploded behind a toilet bowl of the second floor women's bathroom at approximately 5 pm.[2][5]
| Centro Andino bombing | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Colombian conflict | |
 | |
| Location | Bogotá, Colombia |
| Date | 17 June 2017 5:00 pm |
Attack type | bombing |
| Weapons | IED |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Injured | 9 |
| Motive | unknown |
Responsibility
editPolice arrested eight members of a small far-left urban guerilla group called the People’s Revolutionary Movement (Movimiento Revolucionario del Pueblo, MRP) a week after the bombing.[6] The group has only been known since 2015 and are suspected of 14 other attacks in Colombia.[2] The organisation has denied any responsibility in the attack.[7]
Reactions
editIn response to the bombing, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said "we won't let terrorism fright us". Bogotá mayor Enrique Peñalosa called it a "cowardly terrorist bombing".[8] The United Nations condemned the attack and said the following: "The UN in Colombia regrets and repudiates this act of violence and reiterates that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations constitutes a threat to peace and security. We remain determined to continue to support Colombians and their government in their efforts to build sustainable and lasting peace in the country."[9] President of France Emmanuel Macron tweeted on the French woman that died, "At 23, a volunteer in Bogota, a compatriot lost her life there in an explosion. Sadness and condolences for her loved ones."[10] Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto also expressed himself in a tweet in Spanish saying "México condena enérgicamente el acto de violencia cometido en Bogotá. Nuestra solidaridad con los familiares de las víctimas y los heridos." (Mexico strongly condemns the act of violence committed in Bogotá. Our solidarity with the families of the victims and those injured.) There were also other countries and ambassadors that publicly condemned the attack through social media.[11]
Victims
edit| Name | Age | Nationality |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Paola Jaimes | 31 |  Colombia
|
| Ana Maria Gutierrez | 27 | Colombia
|
| Julie Huynh | 23 |  France
|
References
edit- ^ "These are the names of the victims of the attack in the Andino Mall". El Tiempo. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2020-10-02.
- ^ a b c Cobb, Julia (24 June 2017). "Colombian police arrest eight in mall bombing probe". Reuters. Archived from the original on 2017-06-25. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Three killed in Colombia blast". 18 June 2017 – via BBC News.
- ^ "Shopping Center Blast in Colombia Kills 3 and Injures 9". The New York Times.
- ^ Bocanegra, Nelson; Murphy, Helen (17 June 2017). "Explosion in Bogota shopping center kills three, wounds nine". Reuters. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ Adrian, Alsema (26 June 2017). "Meet the MRP, the group accused of the Bogota terrorist attack that killed 3". Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 2017-06-26.
- ^ "Entrevista al Movimiento Revolucionario del Pueblo (MRP) realizada por Andrea Aldana". cedema.org.
- ^ "Bomb In Upscale Mall Kills 3, Injures 9 In Colombia". NPR.org. 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "UN in Colombia strongly condemns attack on shopping centre in Bogota". UN News. 19 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2018-09-05. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
- ^ "Macron lamenta la muerte de ciudadana francesa en atentado en Bogotá". El Tiempo (in Spanish). 18 June 2017. Archived from the original on 2017-06-18. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
- ^ Alsema, Adrian (18 June 2017). "Foreign countries express solidarity with Colombia after Bogota bomb attack". Colombia Reports. Archived from the original on 2017-06-18. Retrieved 2 October 2020.