Medellin human rights leader barely survives assassination attempt
Medellin human rights leader barely survives assassination attempt
Oct 3, 2014 posted by Samuel Moldovan
A Medellin human rights leader barely saved his life on Thursday when two men opened fire at his car just outside his native city.
While returning from talks with municipal officials in San Pedro de Los Milagros, a town on the outskirts of Medellin, two masked gunman opened fire on the car carrying Jonatan Echeverri, a leader of the Human Rights Table of the Valley of Aburra wherein Medellin lies.
While en route to the city, a motorcycle pulled up at high speed to Echeverris vehicle and began to open fire, letting loose nine shots on the car. In the midst of the shooting, Echeverris bodyguard returned fire on the assassins, causing them to flee. Ducking under the seat, Echeverri was not hit, and his escort was unharmed as well.
The response of the escort managed to save his life, said Carlos Asilah, spokesman for the Bureau.
The attack comes after receiving numerous death threats from the criminal gang, The Urabeños, who hope to interrupt the bureaus investigations into different gang pacts and a host of their illegal activities.
The Medellin city government has recognized the existence of such agreements between the Urabeños and local crime syndicate Oficina de Envigado, allegedly arranged by corrupt elements within the citys political and economical elites.
http://colombiareports.co/medellin-human-rights-leader-barely-survives-assassination-attempt/
(My emphasis.)