In a shocking turn of events, Puerto Berrío in Antioquia witnessed a horrifying massacre as four individuals lost their lives inside a bus traveling from Magdalena Medio to Medellín. According to the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz), armed assailants targeted passengers, resulting in the tragic deaths of three men and one woman. A fifth person sustained injuries during the attack.
The incident unfolded on the night of November 20 Of 2023, at a roundabout in the Las Flores area, situated four kilometers from the urban center of Puerto Berrío. Preliminary reports indicate that the perpetrators seized an opportunity when a passenger disembarked, allowing them to enter the bus, locate their targets, and carry out the ruthless attack.
Following the assault, the bus, operated by the Coonorte company, continued its journey to the urban center, where the injured individual received medical attention. Law enforcement swiftly cordoned off the bus at the stopping point, with the police and army securing the area as the Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) conducted the necessary procedures for body retrieval.
The victims, identified as José Manuel Salgado, Geraldín Acero, Estivian Efrén Monsalve, and Jefferson Andrés Parra, include two minors. Meanwhile, the injured individual, Juan José Taborda López, alias Pateviela, is reported to be in stable condition at the Cesar Uribe Piedrahíta hospital.
Colonel Luis Alejandro Cubillos Cancelado, Police Commander of Magdalena Medio, offered a preliminary hypothesis, suggesting that the massacre may be linked to an ongoing dispute between organized criminal groups operating in Puerto Berrío and the district of Puerto Olaya in Cimitarra municipality, Santander.
The victims are believed to be associated with rival factions, specifically the organizations “La Paz” and “Los de Puerto Olaya,” embroiled in a conflict over control of illicit revenues with the criminal group “Los del Oasis.” Mayor Gustavo Medina, in an interview with Radio Nacional, acknowledged the presence of these groups in the region’s rural areas but emphasized a lack of organized structures within the municipality.
Colonel Cubillos also disclosed that one of the victims, known as Monocuco, had been recently arrested for drug trafficking over the weekend but was subsequently released following a judge’s order.
In response to this horrifying incident, the police are actively working on facial composite sketches of the attackers, while the mayor announced plans for an extraordinary security council on the morning of November 21 to determine a reward for information leading to the apprehension of those responsible. The community remains on edge as authorities seek to unravel the complexities of this disturbing act of violence.
