The fiasco was a blow to President Andres Pastrana, who took office six months ago, pledging ““change is now.’’ The recriminations in Armenia, a city of 250,000 people in a coffee region 110 miles west of Bogota, recalled charges of fraud and incompetence after a 1985 volcanic eruption and a 1994 avalanche. ““We’ve been left alone here,’’ said Luis Angel Giraldo, standing on top of the rubble of his three-story apartment building, where a nephew lay buried. ““All this talk about aid is just lies, propaganda and television.’’ Pastrana declared a curfew, banned alcohol sales and sent in 4,000 troops to stop the looters. He then went to the scene to direct relief operations. ““We are all working restlessly,’’ he declared, adding: ““I will not allow any official to hinder the execution of the emergency plan.''
Even so, the devastated region remained tense. On Friday, rescue workers were ordered to call off their search for survivors as authorities prepared to bulldoze the ruins of 80 percent of Armenia’s buildings. Although relief supplies were flowing more smoothly, troops still faced off with angry crowds. They fired warning shots and tear gas at looters, and at least two people were wounded, apparently by gunfire. Everywhere, people wandered aimlessly, their mouths covered with makeshift masks. Restoring the city, at a cost of some $500 million, will take years. Building trust in Pastrana’s government may be even harder.
