In a harrowing incident unfolding on the night of June 6, 2023, the community of Piendamó, Cauca, was plunged into shock and grief as reports surfaced of a new massacre in the region. This time, the brutality seems to have targeted three members of the same family in the rural area of Camilo Torres, within the La María reserve.
The lifeless bodies of Beimar Zamir Astudillo and his two sons, aged 16 and 17—identified as Daniel Astudillo and Miguel Ángel Astudillo Castillo—were discovered in the rural expanse of Puentecita. The community, stumbling upon this grim scene, promptly alerted the authorities.
Vice-governor Henry Yalanda, representing the local territory, responded to the distress call. “We arrived at the residence and found the three bodies, murdered in strange circumstances,” he reported. The victims, seemingly subjected to gunfire, were found inside an unexpected hollow, raising questions about the nature of this heinous act.
Yalanda, while condemning the violence, issued a heartfelt plea for peace and the sanctity of life. This tragic incident follows closely on the heels of another distressing event in late May, where a social leader and his wife were found dead in the rural zone of El Tambo, adding to the alarming tally of 44 massacres recorded in the country in 2023.
As the community grapples with this latest blow, concerns about the escalating violence and its impact on the region’s security persist. The call for peace and respect for human life echoes louder, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive efforts to address the root causes of such brutality and prevent further loss of innocent lives.
