AFP fact check: Bogota terrorist did not almost break Formula 1 record as implied by authorities

(Image: Prosecutor General's Office)

Colombia’s defense minister and chief prosecutor lied to the public to conceal gross security failures that allowed the country’s deadliest terrorist attack in 15 years, confirmed French news agency AFP.

The news agency verified the claims made by Defense Minister Guillermo Botero and Prosecutor General Nestor Humberto Martinez after the attack and concluded that, according to the official version, the perpetrator of the January 17 terrorist attack on the General Santander school in Bogota would have been driving at 360 kilometers per hour (225 mph), only 12 kilometers per hour slower than the world speed record for Formula 1 cars.

The speed record of a Formula One car belongs to the Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya since 2005: 372 km/h.

AFP

Images and video material that were leaked to media demonstrate that the car carrying 80 kilos of explosives entered the police academy without raising any alarm and drove calmly to the place where the bomb was detonated.


Car bomb entered Bogota police academy without raising any suspicion: reports


Local media had already accused Botero and Martinez of lying and had demonstrated the gross negligence that allowed an alleged ELN guerrilla to kill 21 police cadets and allegedly himself.

The defense minister and chief prosecutor have denied there was video material of the attack, but were again proven to be lying to the public last week when Caracol Noticias revealed the videos.

The terrorist attack that spurred President Ivan Duque to end peace talks with the ELN did not just reveal the brutality of the guerrilla group, but also the gross negligence of the authorities and the lies spread by the government and ruling party Democratic Center.

According to evidence that has been released by the Prosecutor General’s Office, at least four people were involved in the attack.

One suspect was arrested in relation to the attack, but this person appeared to be at home at the time of the attack, according to public news broadcast Noticias Uno.

Botero said an internal investigation into the apparent negligence that allowed the terrorist attack would be opened, but only after bringing the perpetrators of the attack to justice.

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