A recent surge in armed robberies within Bogotá’s restaurants has left the residents of the Colombian capital rattled and frustrated with the deteriorating security situation. However, a chilling incident on Wednesday morning involving the targeted killing of businessman Roberto Franco Charry in the upscale Parque 93 neighborhood has escalated concerns that crime is beyond control of police authorities.
The manner in which Roberto Franco Charry was shot at close range by his assailant inside the lobby of an office building has sent shockwaves across Bogotá. The incident was captured on a CCTV camera, revealing a hitman entering the building with a revolver and silencer before swiftly shooting his victim, who was talking on his cellphone.
The aftermath witnessed an intense firefight in Parque 93 between Franco Charry’s personal security detail, bodyguards in the park, and the assailants, forcing diners and wait staff at Bagatelle café to hide for cover under tables. Terrifying images of restaurant-goers who had been enjoying breakfast overlooking the park have punctuated the latest episode in Bogotá’s high-stakes security debacle.
Colonel Juan Árevalo, the commander of citizen security for the Metropolitan Police of Bogotá, revealed that Roberto Franco Charry, the brother of Oscar Franco, the former director of the country’s tax entity, Dian, fell victim to a hired gunman. Only six passed from the moment Franco Charry stepped out of his black BMW car to attend a meeting in the north of Bogotá when the shooting happened. Local media sources suggest that four hitmen had been in the area, meticulously planning the violent homicide. Security personnel also acknowledge the presence of a motorcycle linked to the injured criminal, observed roaming the streets near Parque de la 93 days before the incident.
An eyewitness who had noted the suspicious motorcycle since Sunday stated, “I took the license plates of that motorcycle because it seemed suspicious to me. I also saw it parked in front of the businessman’s office building on Monday and Tuesday. They were already following him.” According to the commander of the Bogotá Police, José Gualdrón, there is only information that two individuals were involved in the crime.
A key video may help determine the whereabouts of one of the hitmen, presumed to be the shooter. It shows the man getting on a motorcycle as a passenger, suggesting it could be his escape route. Investigators speculate that the hitman may have coerced a passing motorcyclist and threatened him to flee the crime scene. The abandoned motorcycle, a crucial piece of evidence, remains under analysis by the Police and Attorney General’s Office. The driver of the escape motorcycle also attempted to flee but was reportedly shot by a bodyguard without sustaining serious injuries. Currently, this individual is in the custody of the authorities.
José Gualdrón, commander of the Metropolitan Police, revealed that the captured person is a 28-year-old Colombian. He further noted that the motorcycle used in the hired killing had been stolen in November of the previous year in Medellín, with the criminals having changed the license plates.
As the investigation unfolds, the incident has intensified discussions around rampant insecurity in Bogotá, the urgency for more police on the streets, and the right for private citizens to own guns for self-defense. After four years in which former Mayor Claudia López is accused of being soft on crime yet promoting her achievements in expensive advertising campaigns, current Mayor Carlos Fernando Galán has the difficult task of restoring Bogotanos’ much-eroded sense of confidence in the capital’s security without resorting to drastic measures such as the militarization of Bogotá.
