Colombia: Pilot, five politicians die in small plane crash

Authorities reported five lawmakers and a pilot perished in a small aircraft accident in central Colombia on Wednesday. The five were all members of former President Alvaro Uribe’s right-wing Centro Democratico party. According to the civil aviation authorities, they were on a plane that crashed in the municipality of San Luis de Gaceno in the department of Boyaca. The party on Twitter lamented the “tragedy,” which claimed the lives of members including ex-senator Nohora Tovar, departmental lawmaker Dimas Barrero, aspirant governor Eliodoro Alvarez and Villavicencio municipal councillor Oscar Rodriguez. The plane was flying from Villavicencio to Bogota for a party gathering, according to local media. Leftist President Gustavo Petro offered condolences on his Twitter account.