Armed guerrillas wearing ELN bandanas and armbands occupied the central square of Bogota’s main university on Thursday. Under an ELN banner, the guerrillas, armed with semiautomatic weapons and pistols, stood motionless as their leader delivered a speech to students of the university.
He talked about the killing of university students by the Colombian army in 1984, the upcoming elections, paramilitary activity in Colombia, and the need for class war against the bourgeoisie.
When he said that taking up arms is necessary, another masked guerrilla fired two shots from his pistol into the air.
At the conclusion of the speech, the guerrillas threw a homemade bomb into the center of the plaza, then took off running. No one was harmed.
Students of the traditionally left-leaning university said it was the first time they could remember in which guerrillas came into the university armed.
Security forces are not allowed on university campus by law.
Colombia’s security tensions are heightened due to the upcoming presidential elections May 30.