BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - A car bomb ripped through a parking lot behind a hotel in Colombia's third-largest city Friday night, killing at least four people, fire officials said.
Cali's fire chief, Alvaro Debia, said the blast wounded at least eight others, five of them seriously. The explosion left a large crater, destroyed cars and blew out windows for 150 yard in all directions.
Police said two men were seen pushing a car into the outdoor lot next to the 43-story Hotel Torre de Cali moments before the blast occurred, at approximately 7:20 p.m. local time.
A local radio station said it had received a fax with a communique in which Colombia's second-largest rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, had taken responsibility for the bombing.
The group had been frustrated by the government's inability to keep rival right-wing paramilitary militias out of a northern area where the ELN wants to hold peace talks with the government.
Cali's police headquarters is located 200 yards down the street from the hotel, a building that also houses offices and apartments.
A Colombian professional soccer team, Once Caldas, was staying in the hotel. A local radio station reported one of its players was injured. It was not immediately possible to verify that report.
Cali is one of the Colombia cities scheduled to host the Copa America, a South America-wide soccer championship, beginning in June. The national teams from Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Mexico are in the bracket scheduled to play there.
Also on Friday, Colombia's army said it had killed five rightist paramilitary fighters and captured four others in clashes in the southern state of Guaviare.
