Overview
- Gunmen killed former Cubarral mayor Rogers Devia and his aide Eder Cardona in rural Cubarral in Meta, a region about 105 miles south of Bogotá.
- Devia was a political ally of presidential candidate Abelardo de La Espriella, whose campaign confirmed the deaths.
- Interior Minister Armando Benedetti said investigators do not yet know the motive and noted police recently foiled an attack targeting a staffer for candidate Paloma Valencia in the same city.
- Colombia’s citizens’ rights ombudsman warned the killings could deter participation in the May 31 presidential vote, which moves to a June runoff if no candidate reaches 50 percent.
- Authorities say three armed groups have fueled recent security risks in Meta, including a FARC splinter, the ELN guerrillas, and the Clan del Golfo cartel, as several candidates report death threats and travel with heavy security.