Gunmen shoot revellers
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference."KEEP quiet, sons of bitches. Nobody move, we're here to fumigate this place." The voice came from the leader of 50 masked, heavily-armed men in full military gear who drove into the northern Colombian town of Barrancabermeja at the weekend and stunned this country with yet another massacre, writes Phil Davison.
Checking residents' names against a list, apparently of people they suspected of being left-wing guerrillas or sympathisers, they shot some who had been dancing to the popular vallenato music on a football pitch, others in a billiard hall. All the time they shouted: "We're the fumigators."
By the time the gunmen, thought to be from a right-wing paramilitary group, left the town's poor Nino Divino suburb on Saturday night, 12 people had been killed. The gunmen then forced 30 young men to board three lorries before driving off.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments