Michelsen, president of Colombia

April 22, 1974

BASS LOADED WITH DRUG. A shipment of drugs destined for the United States in the bellies of innocent bass fish was discovered at the airport in the town of El Fuerte by agents of the Federal Judicial Branch, assisted by elements of the FBI. They arrested several drug traffickers, among them senior leaders of narcotics trafficking, including three individuals, two Canadians and an Italian who were closely followed by the FBI. They posed as tourists, dedicated to sport fishing in Miguel Hidalgo.

MICHELSEN, PRESIDENT OF COLOMBIA. Bogota. The country chose the candidate of the Liberal Party, Alfonso López Michelsen, as president of the Republic, who must receive the legacy of an interim system of shared government that lasted 16 years, and lead Colombia towards the full exercise of democratic freedoms, without no kind of constitutional limitations. The polls that received the votes, with which more than nine thousand members of Congress and municipal councils were also elected, closed at the established time, with very few exceptions in the places where there were citizens in line to vote. The day passed peacefully. María Eugenia Rojas, the only woman among the five candidates for the presidency, was the last candidate to vote. Her presence meant an interruption of the electoral process in the entire area for several minutes. The candidate arrived accompanied by her two children, ages 13 and 14. The police had to put up a cordon around the so-called “village captain” to prevent the crowd from attacking her. What was surprising was the low vote in favor of the candidate of the National Popular Alliance. Political circles calculated that the fiery political leader could compete for second place with the conservative candidate, Álvaro Gómez. The communist Hernando Echeverri captured the maximum vote that the Communist Party has ever obtained in Colombia.

CUTE BABY FOR THE LUGO NAFARRATE. They received a visit from the stork on the 19th, Mr. Ernesto Lugo and his wife, Minerva Nafarrate de Lugo, who on this occasion received a beautiful girl, who is number two in her offspring. The birth occurred at the Agraz Sanatorium, where doctors and nurses formed the committee to welcome the newborn, who came into this world in good health. The Lugo couple received congratulations from family and friends.

April 22, 1999

TRANSPORTATION IS MORE EXPENSIVE. In what constitutes a severe blow to the economy of the population, especially workers, housewives and students, the state government authorized an 18.5 percent increase in urban transportation rates that comes into effect today. The need for transporters to update rates cannot be denied, but the increase affects low-income users. They have no choice but to pay the new and expensive rates, but they have the right to be provided with better service.

US SCHOOL SHOOTING. Littleton. Three teenagers dressed in fatigues opened fire at Columbine High School, sending terrified students fleeing in what police called a suicide mission. 25 people were said to have perished in the shooting. Two suspects were found dead inside the library an hour later. The boys, covered in long black raincoats, fired indiscriminately. Explosions were also reported at the school, which was surrounded by ambulances and patrol cars.

More from the same author:

Sylva Mónica Ruffo Kelly, who completed her basic and high school studies in Los Mochis, stayed two years in El Centro, California, where she perfected the English language. She joined El Debate in September 1994 as a translator and later, in 2000, she became an assistant editor at El Debate de Los Mochis, tasks that led her to take charge of the entertainment page for more than 10 years and the newspaper archive. Upon the death of the City Chronicler, Don Evaristo Fregoso, in September 2003, who wrote the Los Mochis column 50 and 25 years ago, Ruffo Kelly took over the history column, which he later changed to Mi Ciudad 50 and 25 years, in which he narrates what happened in those years on the same day of publication of the newspaper EL DEBATE of Los Mochis.

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