They killed 8 coffee pickers in Antioquia, Colombia

The mayor of Betania, Carlos Villada, explained that in this part of the country there is the Gulf Clan, the largest criminal gang born from paramilitarism, and that it is in dispute with one of its dissidents for control of the drug trafficking chain.

At least eight coffee pickers were killed, this 22-N, on a farm in the Colombian municipality of Betania, in the department of Antioquia (north-west), where men who shot them arrived, official sources confirm.

“Heavily armed men broke into one of the coffee plantations in the village of La Julia early this Sunday and shot people in the quarters where there were about 14 foragers, leaving seven dead and three wounded. but one of the wounded died, “Bethany mayor Carlos Mario Villada told Efe.

Villada explained that in this part of the country there is the Gulf Clan, the largest criminal gang born from paramilitarism, and that it is in dispute with one of its dissidents for control of the drug trafficking chain.

“Here we have a dispute between the Gulf Clan and Gaitanistas over the locations of micro-trafficking in the municipality and this is what has changed the situation of public order,” the governor said.

Villada explained that coffee is being harvested in the Antioquia department at this time of year and this explains the large presence of collectors who remain on the farms.

For his part, the commander of the 7th Army Division, Major General Juan Carlos Ramírez Trujillo, said on social media that “providing information on a violent event in Bethany, Antioquia, the army troops carry out military operations in the area. to protect the population. Police and prosecutors are investigating the facts “.

Mayor Villada also explained that due to the public order situation, a Security Council will be held today, which will include the Minister of Defense, Carlos Holmes Trujillo, and the governor of Antioquia, Aníbal Gaviria, among other authorities.

On the other hand, four people were killed on Saturday night in the village of El Mango, which is part of the municipality of Argelia, department of Cauca (southwest).

The murdered people were chatting in a commercial premises when they were hit by strangers who fled on motorcycles.

Several armed groups outside the law, including dissidents from the FARC, are fighting for the area where there are coca farms and numerous cocaine processing workshops.