Three people, among them a two year old girl, were murdered in a central Colombian village after their ranch was attacked by FARC guerrillas in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
The rancher, Carlos Cruz, his son Juan Carlos Cruz and his granddaughter Karen Yulieth, aged two, were killed in the violent raid on their farm in the region of northern Huila. According to a report by newspaper La Nacion, the attack occured at 4AM on Tuesday while the victims slept.
A young woman, the 17 year old wife of Juan Carlos Cruz, survived but suffered serious shrapnel wounds to her head. Several other family members managed to escape the carnage.
The multiple homicide is believed to have been conducted by the FARC 55 Front, ‘Rafael Reyes Malagon’. The guerrilla group also attempted to abduct a councillor last Saturday but were impeded by an armed reaction from the local people.
The wife of Carlos Cruz, who managed to escape with two other children, reportedly described how ten guerrillas arrived quietly on foot during the night. Her husband was shot and dumped in a ravine and Cruz’s son and two year old granddaughter were shot in the house while trying to flee.
During the raid, the guerrillas destroyed the house and torched everything in it. They apparently used grenades and rifle fire to raze the property to the ground.
According to La Nacion, the recent massacre as well as the attempted abduction of the councillor and death threats from the FARC have left the local population petrified.
Villagers stated that they are reluctant to leave their homes and livelihoods as a result of the violence but they claim that they are “alone” without any Army presence in the area to protect them.
