Today, in Nariño, in the southwest of the country, a “new massacre” left “at least six people dead” and two “missing”, according to the region’s governor, Jhon Rojas. The deaths followed a similar pattern, with an armed group breaking in and opening fire in an isolated area or taking victims, mostly young men, and leaving their bodies behind.
The attacks mark one of the highest levels of violence since the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in 2016. Colombian President Iván Duque is expected to attend a meeting with southwestern authorities country to discuss the increase in violence financed by drug traffickers.
The United Nations (UN), which defines as “massacre” the death of three or more people at the same time by the same perpetrator or group of perpetrators, has so far registered 33 massacres in Colombia in 2020, especially in areas of the country with “a presence of the State ”and under constant threat from armed groups.
According to the UN, criminal groups will be responsible for 78% of these murders, with 80% of deaths taking place in regions where “illegal cocaine production enclaves” are found.
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