Teacher assassinated in front of his southwest Colombia students

A teacher from the southwest of Colombia was assassinated during class, in front of a room full of young students, local media reported Thursday.

The murder took place on Tuesday morning in the remote village of Cajibio, Cauca, where Diego Cenen Lopez was giving a math class to a group of primary school children.

According to the authorities, the hit man arrived at the classroom and, ignoring the presence of the children, shot the teacher numerous times.

Although the teacher was still alive when he was delivered to Popayan hospital, he later died from his wounds.

In the past, the 51 year old teacher had worked as a voluntary fireman and between 2001 and 2003 he acted as secretary of education for Cajibio.

“We will remember him as a person committed to the community, who served people without compromise. All cajibianos loved him dearly,” said Luis Elmer Vivas, the mayor of the town.

Early investigations have discovered no threats of any type towards the teacher, and the the motives of the crime remain unknown.

The children that witnessed the murder are being psychologically evaluated.

Lopez will be buried in Tunia, where he lived with his wife and two sons.

Teachers, particularly in rural conflict areas, have often become a target for illegal armed groups active in the country’s half-a-century war.

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