Fourteen massacres have been recorded in this territory so far this year.
On Monday, the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz) reported that three people were killed and another was wounded in a new massacre in the municipality of Santander de Quilichao, in the department of Cauca, southwestern Colombia.
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“Armed men entered a public establishment on Sunday and indiscriminately opened fire on the people,” the humanitarian NGO said, noting that 96 massacres have been committed so far this year. Of that total, 14 massacres have been carried out in Cauca, leaving at least 68 victims.
Previously, the Ombudsman’s Office had warned that there was a high risk to the civilian population in Cauca due to the presence of armed groups such as the Central General Staff (EMC), the largest FARC dissident group; the National Liberation Army (ELN); and drug-trafficking groups fighting for territorial control.
Aida Quilcue, the Indigenous senator and former vice presidential candidate who is from Cauca, rejected the attack, saying it “adds to the escalation of violence facing Cauca.”
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“I urgently call on the Colombian government to guarantee security, clarify these events and protect the civilian population. Cauca needs guarantees to live in peace, not more violence in its territories. The lives and dignity of the people of Cauca must be a priority,” she said.
Meanwhile, Colombian army commander Gen. Jose Bertulfo Soto confirmed that soldiers “located and safely destroyed two explosive devices placed near an educational center” in the municipality of Cajibio.
“We condemn this criminal act, which places minors at serious risk and disregards the special protection that International Humanitarian Law grants to children and civilian property. A school should be a place to learn, grow and build a future, never a setting for spreading terror,” the officer posted on X.
Cauca Gov. Octavio Guzman said the presence of explosives near a school “should prompt rejection as a society.” “We condemn the despicable actions of these groups, which placed explosive devices near a rural educational institution in Cajibio, putting the lives of our boys, girls, teachers and the entire community at risk. It is an incident we cannot overlook and that requires condemnation from all sectors,” he stressed.
teleSUR/ JF
Source: EFE
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