Six Colombians, one of them reportedly a baby of less than two years old, have been killed in Venezuela over the past week, reported local media on Tuesday.
Last weekend three brothers were found riddled with bullets, near the city of Caja Seca. Two were residents in Caracas and the third was visiting family as a tourist.
The brothers were reportedly taking a ride on their motorbike when they were gunned down by assassins traveling in a van.
“A van intercepted them and shot at the three young men. The victims had no problems and were working in this country,” said a family member according to newspaper El Colombiano.
However Fernando Ramos, a brother of the victims, stated that they had not visited their family in Colombia for over two years and called for authorities of both countries to clarify the facts.
The Colombian embassy in Venezuela has not confirmed that the triple homicide was an assassination. Diplomats are still awaiting the results of the Venezuelan authority’s investigation, who have not ruled out the possibility that these could have been revenge killings targeting one of the victims.
In a separate case, a young family of three was killed on their farm in the municipality of Rosario de Perija.
The victims were found by neighbors tied up in their backyard with their throats slit and multiple wounds.
Preliminary reports suggest that they were murdered in an attempted robbery, indicated by missing truck and a gas stove. However, due to their distressing wounds, authorities would not rule out that they may have been targeted by hitmen.
Sources
Autoridades investigan asesinato de seis colombianos en Venezuela (El Tiempo)
Investigan muerte de seis colombianos en Venezuela, en menos de seis días (RCN Radio)
Autoridades investigan muerte de seis colombianos en Venezuela (El Colombiano)
Asesinan a tres miembros de una misma familia colombiana en Venezuela (El Espectador)