“No violence in Astrea. We reject pain and fear; yes to peace and respect.” With this message, the residents of the city marched yesterday to demand justice for the crime of the merchant Yulibeth Shleguer Mejía, 32, and to stop the violence that affects on the land.
Dressed in white and carrying balloons of the same color, students, unions, authorities and the community in general, showed solidarity with the relatives of the murdered merchant and marched through the main streets of the city , starting from the Central Plaza of Astrea to ask the police authorities work to clarify this heinous crime and to catch those responsible.
In the city there is a tight calm because of the fear that surrounds the residents, because of the alleged presence of armed groups outside the law that cause concern for merchants with the collection of hate and other crimes that put concern for public order in the city.
Shleguer Mejía was murdered last Sunday night, August 25, by two assailants with a motorcycle while she was hanging out with friends at the ‘El Cacique’ bar in that town. The victim was rushed to San Martín Hospital with three gunshot wounds to the head and one to the chest, but he arrived without vital signs.
According to the authorities, Yulibeth had been threatened for extortion and the criminals responsible for these threats had been caught and arrested before. The victim was the owner of the hardware and cheese store ‘Tres Palacios’ in the city, and they asked her for a sum of 40 million pesos.
Alfredo Barrios Ortega, the mayor of the city of Astrea, led the peaceful demonstration and assured that “this crime of a very young and hard-working woman has surprised us. Together with the authorities, we are doing everything we can to clarify this situation regarding the presence of armed groups and others who call from prisons to withdraw money in different parts, ” he said.
He said that if the presence of armed groups in the area is true, the buyers are not complaining to the authorities.
On the other hand, he announced, together with Cesar’s Government, that they will offer a reward to find those responsible for this murder.
