Government offers up to $ 50 million in reward for those responsible for the Betania massacre, Antioquia

After the commotion caused in recent hours by the wave of violence in Colombia, where in less than 12 hours two massacres were perpetrated: one in Betania, Antioquia, and another in Algeria, Cauca, the Minister of Defense Carlos Holmes Trujillo installed a security council in the Antioquia municipality. In the company of the military leadership, the official rejected the attacks and announced a reward of 50 million pesos to whoever leads to the capture of those responsible for the Betania massacre.

“We offer a reward of up to 200 million pesos for information that leads to the capture of alias ‘Rubén’, head of the southwest substructure of the Gulf Clan, and up to 30 million pesos for the rest of the criminals that make up this group.”

The head of the portfolio blamed drug trafficking as the country’s number one enemy.

The facts at Bethany

The Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz) confirmed a new massacre in Colombia this Sunday morning. The events were recorded in Betania, Antioquia and resulted in death of seven people who said that the rural area of ​​the Antioquia municipality, after armed individuals shot them indiscriminately.

In addition to the seven deaths, three people were seriously injured and had to be rushed to hospitals in Medellín. The authorities confirmed that the crime was perpetrated at the La Gabriela farm, located in the la Julia village, in the vicinity of the Betania municipality, 30 minutes from the urban area.

The public force assured that the identity of the victims is still unknown, but according to the Police and the Army, the deceased would be coffee pickers. Leaders of the area and witnesses to the event assure that the events occurred at approximately 10:30 pm on Saturday, November 21. It is expected that in the next few hours the Minister of Defense, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, will arrive in Betania to hold a security council and official information will be issued by the municipal government.

Colonel Jorge Cabra, commander of the Antioquia Police, went to the scene of the events, who confirmed to the newspaper El Tiempo that due to the situation, he canceled a press conference with the media in Bajo Cauca.

“Given information about a violent incident in Betania, Antioquia, Army troops carry out military operations in the area to protect the population. Police and Prosecutor’s Office investigate the facts“Major General Juan Carlos Ramírez Trujillo, Commander of the Army’s Seventh Division, assured the newspaper El Tiempo.

Figures from the Government of Antioquia assure that with this new massacre there are at least eight that occurred in that place during 2020. For their part, Indepaz makes a call to the National Government and warns that so far this year there have been 76 massacres in the national territory.

The facts in Algeria, Cauca

The municipality of Algeria, Cauca, in the southwest of Colombia, woke up this November 22 with the news of one more massacre, the 12th in the year, according to the Institute of Studies for the Development of Peace (Indepaz). It happened in the El Mango district of the Municipality of Algeria. According to what was told to the newspaper El Tiempo by the local mayor, Jhonnatan Patiño, five citizens died.

The massacre, according to the first versions of what happened, was perpetrated in a discotheque in the municipality at night, this Saturday, November 21. A group of armed men entered the establishment and fired indiscriminately at those who were there. In addition to the five deceased, whose identities are unknown, there are apparently several injured.

The information from the local mayor’s office about the massacre became official after, through Twitter, the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation shared videos about what happened, uploaded to this social network by members of the community. In one of them, some bodies of the victims are seen inside the public establishment, while in another two groups of people are seen, crossing a micro-soccer field, helping to transport two injured, one on the shoulders (sensitive images ).

In this same municipality, on November 9, another attempted massacre was recorded, near the Algerian Police Station, in which two people died and three were injured. The most recent act of violence, however, took place on November 18: in the El Plateado district, a 14-year-old adolescent was found dead, the result of a shot in the head and one in the chest, and with signs of torture.

In this municipality, which together with the Tambo, also in Cauca, It has about 17,000 hectares of coca crops, according to the Integrated System of Illicit Crops, Armed structures such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), FARC dissidents and paramilitary groups are vying for power.

Record year of massacres

During 2020, according to Indepaz, 76 massacres have been perpetrated, without counting that of this November 21, in Algeria, Cauca. The departments most affected by this phenomenon of violence have been Antioquia (17), Cauca (11), Nariño (9), Norte de Santander (6) and Putumayo (4).

According to Mayor Jhonnatan Patiño, this November 22 a security council will be held to clarify the facts about what happened not only yesterday, but in recent weeks in the municipality of Algeria.