Failing public utilities spur riots in northern Colombia; 1 dead, at least 6 injured
Failing public utilities spur riots in northern Colombia; 1 dead, at least 6 injured
May 6, 2014 posted by Adriaan Alsema
One person was killed and more than 30 were injured in riots in the northern Colombian port city of Barranquilla on Monday. The violence emerged from spontaneous protests over blackouts and a lack of stability in the potable water supply.
According to local newspaper El Heraldo, the unrest began on Sunday afternoon when residents of the south of Barranquilla and the nearby town of Soledad took to the streets to protest a blackout that occurred subsequent to a 30-minute tropical rain storm.
The protests escalated and angry residents put up roadblocks, while claiming it took the local public utilities company, Electricaribe, 34 hours to restore energy in the city.
The situation escalated further when vandals began looting stores, attacking buses and damaging property belonging to Electricaribe.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/failing-public-utilities-spur-riots-northern-colombia-1-dead-least-6-injured/
