Massive tomato fight returns to Colombia (photos)

After an absence of two years, locals from a village in central Colombia were finally able to hold their massive tomato battle, known as “Tomatina” Sunday.

Some 20,000 people showed up for the sixth edition of the tomato-throwing festival in the town of Sutamarchan, some 75 miles northeast of the capital Bogota.

“This is a party in the honor of the tomato-cultivating farmer,” the town mayor, Miguel Arturo Rodriguez, told The Associated Press.

The mayor expressed to be proud that the festival drew the attention of international media and put his small town on the international map.

“Do me a favor,” Rodriguez asked the AP reporter. “Tell that Sutamarchan is categorized as having one of the best climates in the world and everyone is welcome to our village.”

{japopup type=”image”content=”pics/2012/mphoto/tom1.jpg” title=”Sutamarchan’s tomatina”}{/japopup} {japopup type=”image”content=”pics/2012/mphoto/tom2.jpg” title=”Sutamarchan’s tomatina”}{/japopup} {japopup type=”image”content=”pics/2012/mphoto/tom3.jpg” title=”Sutamarchan’s tomatina”}{/japopup} {japopup type=”image”content=”pics/2012/mphoto/tom4.jpg” title=”Sutamarchan’s tomatina”}{/japopup}

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