In eastern Colombia, armed individuals targeted the convoy of Senator Jairo Castellanos, resulting in two fatalities and four individuals unaccounted for. President Gustavo Petro has mandated the apprehension of the culprits, with the defense minister suspecting the involvement of the National Liberation Army.
Two individuals perished and four are currently missing subsequent to an ambush by armed assailants on a senator's vehicle procession in eastern Colombia, as Bloomberg conveyed.
Details
Reportedly, the vehicle train was en route to the city of Yopal, situated a few hours' drive from the site of the occurrence, to retrieve Green Alliance Party representative Jairo Castellanos. The vehicle was subjected to gunfire from automatic weaponry.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has directed security detachments to locate the absent members of Castellanos' personnel and to detain those accountable, while Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez has indicated that the National Liberation Army (ELN) might bear responsibility.
The incident occurs mere weeks preceding congressional elections. Colombians are slated to cast ballots for Congress on March 8 and for president in May, potentially culminating in a second round in June. On Wednesday, the Colombian Election Observation Mission, an autonomous monitoring organization, issued a warning regarding menaces to the electoral procedure originating from unlawful armed factions. The group ascertained that the quantity of municipalities confronting an “extreme risk” of violence had augmented by 85% in comparison to the 2022 polls.
– the publication writes.
The province of Arauca, wherein the aggression transpired, is purported to maintain a substantial ELN foothold. The faction frequently endeavors to exert duress on politicians and electorate. According to the Electoral Observation Mission, seven of the ten governors of Arauca since 1991 have faced accusations or convictions pertaining to associations with illicit armed groups.
We will remind you
In January, US President Donald Trump articulated the prospect of initiating ground incursions against narcotics cartels in Mexico, in conjunction with nations across Central and South America – notably, Venezuela and Colombia.