Citizens of Mocoa in the southern Putumayo department are not allowed
to leave their houses between 5PM and 5AM after protests by duped DMG
and DRFE clients turned violent Wednesday.
14 people were left injured after the angry crowd set fire to cars, looted two pyramid offices and clashed with police.
According to the police, the unrest began around 4AM when protesters
blocked the main roads. When the police tried to break up the
blockades, clashes occurred, protesters set cars on fire and started
looting offices.
Police commander Gen. Luis Alberto Perez says many of Wednesday’s rioters lost money in
the scheme perpetrated by the company DRFE. He says others were simply
troublemakers.
The Putumayo department is one of the worst hit in Colombia,
because a vast amount of the mostly poor inhabitants had their savings
invested in fraudulent pyramid schemes. DMG originally started in
Putumayo.
It’s the second time this week protests following the
pyramid scandal turn violent. Earlier the mayor of Honda imposed a
curfew after protesters took to looting.
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