Colombian congressman, five others killed in helicopter crash

A Colombian congressman and five others were killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash in the mountains north of Bogota, police said. The helicopter apparently had turned back to the capital because of bad weather before plunging to the ground, killing all on board, said Cundinamarca state police spokesman William Rodriguez.

"There was a storm and it was raining heavily," Rodriguez said. "There is nothing to indicate a terrorist attack."

He said experts had reached the scene of the crash, 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the Colombian capital in the state of Cundinamarca, and were sifting through the debris for further clues.

Conservative Party congressman Roberto Camacho, Cundinamarca state deputy Efren Bejerano and former Cundinamarca deputy governor Adolfo Leon were among those killed in the crash. Camacho, an ally of hardline President Alvaro Uribe, was planning to run for a senate seat in next year's legislative elections. Camacho has been a strong supporter of Uribe's peace process with Colombia's outlawed far-right paramilitary militias. Rights groups say the talks have let killers and drug traffickers off the hook, reports the AP. I.L.