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A erstwhile politician allied with statesmanlike campaigner Abelardo de La Espriella was changeable dormant successful Colombia's heartland, section authorities said Saturday (May 17, 2026). One of his aides was besides killed.
The killings of Rogers Devia and his staffer Eder Cardona were the latest incidental of governmental unit successful a portion nether quality by 2 groups labelled arsenic terrorists by the U.S. authorities and a 3rd radical — a splinter of the erstwhile ascendant guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, oregon FARC.
Devia died successful an onslaught by gunmen successful the agrarian country of Cubarral, a metropolis helium governed betwixt 2020-2023 lying 170 kilometres (105 miles) southbound of the superior Bogota, said the Public Defender's Office of the section of Meta successful a posting connected X.
Mr. De La Espriella represents the National Salvation Movement.
The Public Defender's Office said the killings could wounded “the workout of governmental rights and antiauthoritarian participation” up of Colombia's statesmanlike elections, which instrumentality spot May 31.
There volition beryllium astatine slightest fractional a twelve candidates competing successful the election, including 2 members of smaller left-wing parties. If nary of them gets 50% of the votes a tally disconnected volition instrumentality spot successful June betwixt the apical 2 contenders.
Colombia's Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said connected his societal media channels that investigators bash not cognize wherefore Devia was attacked. The Minister added that constabulary had precocious stopped an onslaught against a staffer of different statesmanlike candidate, Paloma Valencia, successful the aforesaid city.
