An unfortunate event

When I left for Colombia there were many reactions.  From my colleagues at Harvard the reactions were positive, from other friends there were some tears, from family and friends of family there was a lot of concern about my safety.  For the nearly 10 months that I've been here (wow!), I have never felt unsafe.  I regularly have to remind myself that I cannot and should not get in a cab, alone, from the street...but it is oh so tempting because it just seems like I'm going through a lot of unnecessary hassle for some made up idea of a danger that doesn't exist.  I go running in the afternoons alone.  I take the public transportation alone.  I live in a big city with a lot of people and sometimes the traffic and smog drive me insane, but mostly I am blown away by the beauty of the mountains surrounding the city, the dewy fields we pass on the way to school in the morning with the calves (I LOVE baby cows!), and the kindness and warmth of the people who live here and with whom I work.  I never feel afraid.

Today a bomb went off in the center of the city, killing two people and injuring many more.  I think many people are a bit shaken up and I realized that perhaps (only perhaps, this news would reach family and friends in the U.S) so I thought I'd just give a brief summary and let folks know that I'm okay.  Yes, bombs are scary and there is not a ton of information about the who and the why, but I still feel safe.  I even went for a run when I got home today.

The bomb is thought to be targeted at the ex-Minister of Interior, Fernando Lodoño.  His driver was killed, as was a police bodyguard.  Lodoño was injured and is the hospital but is okay.  About 40 others were injured (although this number varies from article to article that I've read).  The bombing coincides with the start of the free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States, so there is some speculation that there is a connection.  Some papers have said that FARC is responsible, others have speculated that others, even students maybe, that are angered by the politics are responsible.

Again, I'm fine.  More than fine.  Everyone is a bit more aware of their surroundings than yesterday, and obviously a bit sad that this kind of violence has popped up again in the capitol.  If there is more news, I'll keep you posted but for now, no worrying about me!

The best article I could find in English summarizing the bombing is from the New York Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/world/americas/fatal-bomb-attack-in-bogota-targeted-ex-official.html

UPDATE:  Another article that discusses a bit more of the politics shaping this event:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/news/ap/politics/2012/May/16/2_dead_in_bogota_bombing_targeting_former_minister.html