03:20 PM
In the early hours of this Thursday, June 27, armed men intercepted a vehicle transporting fish and forced the driver to get out of the truck and then set the car on fire.
The incident occurred at the Betania dam, on the road that connects the municipalities of Hobo and Yaguará, towns located 45 minutes from Neiva, capital of the department of Huila.
According to the Police Commander, Colonel Carlos Eduardo Téllez, he reported that units of the Sijín will be in the area with support from the Army, carrying out the respective investigations to locate those responsible and clarify the facts.
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“At around 3:50 in the morning, we learned of a burned vehicle, between the municipalities of Hobo and Yaguará, in a sector of the Betania dam. In this way, knowing the facts, investigative work begins in order to identify the causes of the events. The information we have is that, apparently, two men go out onto the road, block the passage of the vehicle and incinerate it, we are with the judicial police and the Gaula carrying out the investigations,” declared Colonel Téllez.
According to reports from some local residents, the gunmen behind the incident were members of the FARC dissidents, but the truck driver was unharmed.
So far in 2024, the department of Huila has been the victim of several attacks by FARC dissidents whose purpose would be to pressure the payment of extortions.
One of them occurred in April, when a low-power explosive device was detonated in a bakery in Neiva. It did not cause any injuries but did cause structural damage in the area.
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Also, at the beginning of June, on the road that connects the municipalities of La Plata with Paicol, the troops of the Cacique Pigoanza battalion detonated in a controlled manner an explosive device with destructive power of more than 50 meters around.
According to previous statements by the Director of Anti-Kidnapping and Anti-Extortion, Lieutenant Colonel Elver Alfonso, so far in 2024 there have been 33 incidents related to the crime of extortion in Neiva alone, which represents an increase compared to the 12 that occurred in 2023.
