Colombia: Political-Motivated Assassinations on the Rise

On Sunday, Colombian Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) denounced the assassination of 6 former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP) members in the last 24 hours.

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The first report is about former FARC-EP member and Peace Agreements signatory Norelia Trompeta's assassination, a 25-year-old girl from Buenos Aires municipality in Cauca Province.

According to Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), Trompeta was found together with another woman, who still unidentified. Both of them were shot once in the temple, suggesting premeditated assassination.

The second massacre took place in San Vicente of Caguan, Caqueta Department, where five farmers, former FARC-EP members, and Peace Agreements signatory as well were found killed.

These assassinations, together with yesterday's killing of the social leader Diana Jaramillo and her partner, make this weekend one of the bloodiest of the year.

Moreover, on Saturday, government officials informed about the assassination of 4 police officers by unknown armed groups, three of them in the Cesar Department and the other one in Cali's suburbs.

Cali's Metropolitan Police is offering about 22.000 euros for good information leading to perpetrators' capture, something that certainly nobody will do for any of the abovementioned former FARC-EP members or social leaders. 

Peace Agreements signatories and social leaders are the most common targets of paramilitary groups operating all over Colombia. Ivan Duque's government keeps turning a blind eye to a phenomenon that has caused over 350 casualties so far (277 former FARC-EP members and over 75 social leaders).

So far, Duque's far-right policies had only enhanced insecurity and violence, while neglecting Colombians' most urgent needs. During his time in office, he has deepened the social crisis and political upheaval in the country, something that has even affected him directly.

On Friday, the President's helicopter was shot in Santander's northern region while heading to Cucuta airport. He was accompanied by Defense and Interior Ministers during the trip. Local media informed that there were no further incidents and that no one suffered injuries.