A wave of violence hits the western Colombian city of Tulua, causing members of the community to be afraid to leave their homes, reported El Pais Thursday.
Ten homicides have been reported in the past four weeks in Tulua and authorities are worried because these murders are being committed in public with automatic weapons.
Last weekend saw Tulua’s most recent attack in the neighborhood of Tomas Uribe Uribe. A group of people were surprised by several men who allegedly opened fire indiscriminately. Two men were killed and five others were seriously injured.
“We really have to fear this spiral of violence, so we are calling on national and departmental authorities. We understand that there are dark forces that are creating anxiety in our community,” Mayor Rafael Palau told El Pais.
Rumors from the city of Tulua, located 63 miles northeast of Cali, state that the recent violence is a result of the arrival of the narco-paramilitary group “Los Urabeños” in Villa de Cespedes, territory of rival paramilitaries, “Los Rastrojos.”
In a statement to El Pais, a prominent leader in the neighborhood of La Graciela, Alexander Garcia states, “As things stand, it is better to stay home and not risk being a victim of violence because you can be in the wrong place.”