State of near emergency declared in Colombia

COLOMBIA’S new president, Alvaro Uribe, declared a state of near emergency yesterday, and introduced a new tax to help fund the fight against a “regime of terror” after a spate of rebel attacks.

Uribe issued the decree after an emergency Cabinet meeting late Sunday.

He declared a “state of internal commotion,” which authorises the government to take special measures but falls short of a state of siege, which likely would have meant new restrictions on civil liberties.