Colombia’s Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz) has reported a new massacre in the rural area of Ciénaga municipality, in the Magdalena department, where three people were killed. The incident, linked to non-state armed groups, marks the 36th massacre recorded in the country so far this year.

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In a post on its official X account, Indepaz announced that three bodies had been found on May 31 in Palmor de la Sierra, a rural district of Ciénaga. The National Institute of Forensic Medicine confirmed that the victims had suffered signs of torture and gunshot wounds from rifles.

The victims were identified as Saraith del Carmen Torres Gil, 40; Manuel Julio Anaya, 28; and Merquis Quintana García.

Indepaz recalled that Colombia’s Office of the Ombudsman had previously issued Early Warning No. 608 on May 3, 2024, warning of armed clashes in the same area between the Clan del Golfo and the Conquerors of the Sierra Nevada (ACSN). The alert underscored the risk of forced displacement or community confinement as a result of the violence.

Multiple illegal armed groups operate in the region, including the Clan del Golfo, the ACSN, and smaller local criminal organizations, all competing for territorial control and illicit economies.

Despite efforts by President Gustavo Petro’s administration to end the country’s internal conflict, the recurrence of such massacres underscores the persistent insecurity faced by rural populations and the challenges of implementing peace across all regions.

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