Colombia: UN Condemns Massacre in Nariño

The office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia condemned this Sunday the massacre in the Nariño department where a group of armed men killed nine young people. 

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Colombia: Armed Men Kill Nine Young People in Nariño

The OHCHR in Colombia also rejected the recent killing of two minors last August 10 in the border between Cauca and Nariño Department when they were headed to their school to submit their homework. 

“We reject the massacre of 8 young people yesterday in Samaniego, in addition to the murder of 2 Afro-descendant children who were going to do a school assignment in a Leiva neighborhood 8 days ago. After the massacre and homicides of 2 children in Nariño, we reiterate to the illegal groups their obligation to respect the life and integrity of all people,” read a statement posted on the OHCHR’s Twitter account. 

Furthermore, they reiterated the need for a proper investigation into the recent killings emphasizing the need to protect the lives of locals. 

Mayor of Samaniego, Jhon Rojas, where Sunday’s massacre took place, condemned the killing and stressed the need for authorities to take action against violence in the region.

"Colombia's President Ivan Duque, the Defense Ministry, the Nariño Police, and the Prosecutor's Office have to take actions that will restore peace in the region," Rojas said on his Twitter account. "The community is in terror. No more bloodshed in Nariño," he added.

With the hashtag #QuienMatoALos9 or “Who Killed the Nine” various social media users raised their voices to demand justice for the killings in the South American country. 

A pot-banging protest is set to take place this Sunday at 7 pm local time as a sign of protest and a call for urgent action to achieve peace in Colombia.