Spanish
Bogotá.- A lieutenant colonel of the Colombian Army, assigned to the Anti-Narcotics Brigade, was assassinated this Thursday by hitmen in Popayán, in the troubled department of Cauca, southwest of the country, according to the Army.
The high-ranking officer, Rafael Granados Rueda, was traveling to his residence when armed individuals shot at him "indiscriminately," the institution detailed in a statement.
Military units in the area went to the scene, provided first aid to the officer, and transported him to a medical center in the city, where he died due to the severity of his injuries.
The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, said on his social media that this assassination "is a war crime" and added that he requested the security report of the officer in his movements.
Following the attack, Army troops and Police units activated search and reaction protocols, and reinforced security in the area to prevent further criminal actions and advance in the identification of those responsible.
"This murder constitutes a direct affront against those who with honor and commitment work daily for the security and stability of the region," stated the Army, which also invited citizens to "provide information that allows the location of the perpetrators of this crime and contributes to the progress of the investigations."
Authorities are investigating whether the attack is related to the lieutenant colonel's work in the Anti-Narcotics Brigade, given the high presence of armed groups and illegal economies in the department of Cauca.
Cauca is one of the departments most affected by the Colombian armed conflict and, even after the signing of peace between the Government and the former FARC guerrilla in 2016, it has continued to be a scene of violence.
In that department, located between the mountains of the Andes mountain range and the Pacific Ocean, several factions of the dissident groups of the former FARC are strong. The National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group and drug trafficking gangs that control coca crops and routes for the international drug trade also operate.
