A Spanish tourist was killed in a robbery in the north Colombian city of Barranquilla Wednesday just after the city tightened security measures for the upcoming carnival.
According to local newspaper El Heraldo, the woman was shot early Wednesday morning. Police said they have arrested the killer.
The Spaniard was killed by two bullets after a man robbed her and the group she was with in a bar in the center of the Caribbean city.
Barranquilla police commissioner General Oscar Perez told the newspaper that authorities have promised a $2,500 reward for a local man called “Joaco,” who allegedly took part in the robbery.
The murder came less than 24 hours after local police activated a special security plan involving the deployment of 4,300 extra policemen to guarantee the safety of the tens of thousands of tourists expected to take part in the city’s carnival, which starts Saturday.
Barranqulla’s carnaval is Colombia’s biggest cultural event of the year.