First lady (Colombian) fights off mugger near White House

[rabs]

You won't be reading about this in the Washington Post.


http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/mediaManager/?controllerName=image&action=get&id=1089070&width=628&height=471
Colombia's first lady Maria Clemencia de Santos tours the Colombian exhibit during the opening of the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival 2011, Thursday, June 30, 2011, on the National Mall in Washington. Photo: Jose Luis Magana / AP


Semana newsmagazine has a blurb in this week's edition, which comes out today (Sunday), that says Juan Manuel Santos' wife, Maria Clemencia, struggled with and fended off a mugger who was trying to steal her wallet from her purse two blocks from the White House a few days ago.

I looked up whether she had been in Washington recently, and sure enough, she was there on an official visit to partcipate in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2011 that opened on June 30.

Semana says she declined to file a police report, which is probably why reporters did not catch the story.

But had she been mugged or othewise injured, it would have been a tremendous black eye for D.C. police, as well as hil and obama.

What she was doing walking around with no body guards or State Department protection is not explained.

The Semana blurb: (Semana is Colombia's leading news magazine, so no reason to doubt the report.)

Confidenciales
Tutina no se dejó
A dos cuadras de la Casa Blanca, la semana pasada sucedió algo insólito. Un raponero trató de sacarle la billetera de la cartera a María Clemencia de Santos, la esposa del presidente, quien se encontraba en visita oficial en Washington. Tutina, que es una mujer de carácter como su marido, no se dejó y forcejeó con el ladrón mientras le gritaba “¡Usted me quiere robar!”. El hombre se asustó, comenzó a correr y se escapó con las manos vacías. Los agentes de Policía, alarmados y algo avergonzados, le preguntaron inmediatamente si quería poner una denuncia. Ella elegantemente minimizó el episodio y dijo que no.

Read more about the Festival: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/living/article/Smithson...

[Judi Lynn]

1. Strange news! That was a risky idea, wasn't it?

It's one you don't expect to hear, not ever.

Too bad the photographer from the festival wasn't still following her around! He/she could have helped run the mugger off faster.

The mugger may end up in little pieces after the paras come after him.

[bemildred]

2. Tsk. nt