Colombia is planning to launch air raids on a national park after six police officers were allegedly killed by guerrillas on Wednesday. The government said it was preparing to attack rebel positions in La Macarena, 170km (100 miles) south of Bogota. The officers were protecting hundreds of labourers involved in a coca eradication project in the park. Left-wing Farc rebels have attacked the area on a number of occasions, killing dozens of police officers and soldiers. Mr Uribe said that his government was looking at how to evacuate La Macarena before launching the raids on rebel positions.
Nearly 1,000 labourers have been removing coca plants by hand because aerial spraying is banned in national parks. Earlier this year, the Colombian government sent some 2,000 troops, along with 1,500 police officers to La Macarena to protect the workers. Last year, guerrillas killed 29 soldiers working to destroy coca near the park, in some of the heaviest losses suffered by Mr Uribe's administration.