In response to the murder of four persons in the Usme locality, Bogotá’s Mayor Office has announced a reward of COP$20 million pesos for any information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators of the heinous crime.
The incident occurred on Holy Saturday in the El Bosque sector of Usme, a vulnerable neighborhood known for its challenging accessibility located on the eastern urban edge of the Colombian capital, and nestled within the Cerros Orientales. Initial reports indicate the extrajudicial killings of three women, with a fourth victim, a man, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds and later succumbing to his injuries after being transferred to a hospital. The identities of the four victims have not been released.
According to Bogotá Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán, the wounded man was pronounced dead upon arrival at Meissen Hospital, while the bodies of the three women were discovered nearby in a forested area. In response to the serious security situation, the Attorney General’s Office has established a special investigative group dedicated to uncovering clues that could lead to the capture of those behind the massacre. Among the victims was a minor, underscoring the indiscriminate nature of the violence unfolding in the south of the capital.
In a joint effort with the Bogotá Metropolitan Police, the Mayor’s Office has allocated resources to offer a substantial reward for any information crucial to apprehending those responsible for the massacre. Specialized investigative units have been deployed to identify and apprehend the criminals, while additional police forces have been mobilized to reinforce security measures for the resident of Usme.
Colonel Juan Carlos Arévalo Rodríguez, Deputy Commander of the Bogotá Metropolitan Police, expressed deep concern over the incident, highlighting the tragic loss of life and the urgent need for justice. The law enforcement official also emphasized the collaborative efforts between agencies and commitment to bring those responsible for the massacre to account.
As tensions remain high in Usme, with fears of further gang-related violence, Mayor Galán authorized that the Colombian Army’s Special Forces Battalion No. 5 be dispatched to Usme near the Eastern foothills. Soldiers from the Brigade 13 were patroling vulnerable neighborhoods as of Sunday morning, and part of the army’s nationwide security offensive named ‘Operation Ayacucho’.
The complex nature of criminal organizations in the area poses significant hurdles for law enforcement agencies seeking to dismantle illicit networks financed by drug trafficking, human trafficking, and extorsion. Preliminary findings suggest that the incident may be linked to ongoing turf wars and disputes over land invasion, particularly in the El Bosque neighborhood.
This massacre in Usme is the fifteenth recorded in Colombia in 2024, according to the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz). The Usme locality has witnessed the presence of various armed groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Gulf Clan, and local criminal gangs, all posing a significant security challenge to the “total peace” agenda of President Gustavo Petro.
On Monday, FARC dissidents of the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) announced the creation of the Central Bloc ‘Commander Isaías Pardo’, which will operate in the departments of Huila, Tolima, and Quindío. The new front was announced in “solidarity, and in response, to the rupture of the ceasefire in the area of the Western Bloc Commander Jacobo Arenas.” In the video statement, the EMC of alias ‘Iván Mordisco” confirmed that the bloc will be comprised of 5 fronts that have not existed in the region since the signing of the 2016 peace accord with ex-FARC.
