Ten police officers have been arrested in Colombia and a police colonel is wanted for the murder of three young men who were identified as drug traffickers, official sources said today.
The eleven police officers are accused of killing three young men aged 18, 22 and 26 on July 25, in a city in the province of Sucre. They had been stopped for a traffic control and a few hours later their bodies were taken to a local hospital. Their bodies bore bullet wounds and signs of torture, according to their families and their lawyer.
Photos from their arrest, posted on social networking sites at the time, showed the three young men alive in a street surrounded by police. One was standing, the second was kneeling and the third was lying down.
According to the new police chief, General Henry Sanabria, the accused officers “violated all constitutional and legal parameters, tarnishing the institution” of the police.
Ten have been arrested while the eleventh, Colonel Benjamin Núñez, the police commander of the entire province of Sucre, is on the run. According to prosecutors, Nunes shot the victims himself. Colombian media reported that he has fled to Mexico and Interpol’s help has been sought in his arrest.
The accused police officers claimed that the victims killed a colleague in a neighboring village and that they were members of the Clan del Golfo, Colombia’s largest criminal organization that is waging an open war against the security forces.
The death of the three youths evoked memories of the scandal of the early 2000s: at that time, more than 6,000 civilians were arrested and executed by the army, which then presented them as “rebels killed in action”.
Colombia’s new president, Gustavo Petro, who hails from the Left, has promised to overhaul the police force blamed for a bloody crackdown on anti-government protests in 2021.
In Colombia the police are subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.
Source: AMPE
Source: Capital
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
