A Bogota parking attendant has, in poor taste, chosen to visually identify himself with fallen al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.
Hichster Londoño Hasmet is the “Colombian Osama,” who carries a wooden AK-47, grows a long beard, owns an army fatigue jacket and wears a white turban to imitate the signature appearance of the world’s most wanted man, who was shot down by American security forces on Sunday.
“The guardian of the Santa Fe barrio,” as he is known by his neighbors, changed his appearance to match that of Osama bin Laden in 2001, morbidly “identifying” with the perpetrator of the attacks on America’s World Trade Center buildings, according to a Thursday report by Spanish news agency EFE.
Unlike the al-Qaeda leader, however, Londoño Hasmet is apparently harmless despite his offensive choice of garb. He is well-known by his neighbors, who he greets with hugs and smiles, and has never actually used his fake weapon for any form of violence.
Bogota Police Commander Mauricio Becerra appeared unconcerned with the matter of “Osama’s” dress, stating that if it was a real AK, it would be confiscated, and Londoño Hasmet sent to jail for illegally carrying firearms.