2007 Balsillas massacre
| 2007 Balsillas massacre | |
|---|---|
| Location | Balsillas, Caqueta, Colombia |
| Date | June 10, 2007 |
| Target | Attendances at a San Pedrito party at the Guillermo Ríos Mejía school |
Attack type | Mass shooting, school shooting |
| Weapon | Rifles |
| Deaths | 6 |
| Injured | 3 |
| Perpetrators | Yeimer Alberto Jiménez Rodríguez Jair Farfán Moor |
| Motive | Dispute after the principal refused to sell alcohol |
On June 10, 2007, two shootings in a school and an estate in Balsillas, Colombia left a total of 6 dead and 3 injured, the shooters 21-year-old Yeimer Alberto Jiménez Rodríguez and 20-years old Jair Farfán Moore were arrested after trying to escape.
Background
Colombia registered a critic increase of false positives murders between 2000 and 2009, with the murders peaking in 2002–2008, with at least 6,402 victims in the country.[1]
Shooting
On June 10, 2007, civilians were attending at a San Pedrito party inside the Guillermo Ríos Mejía school, two soldiers, Yeimer Alberto Jiménez and Jair Farfán Moor deserted their military base and attended to the party while drunk.[2]
The soldiers asked Marlene Berrío, the school principal, for more alcohol, but she refused, arguing that they were already drunk, they then opened fire with their duty weapons in the schoolyard, killing Marlene Berrío, Jair Giraldo and Lucas Corredor; two other men were injured but survived by playing dead. After the shooting, both soldiers escaped to the estate "La blanca"; in the estate they yelled asking for money and the keys of a motorbike. After being denied, they forced their entrance were a marriage who previously attended the party were sleeping. Inside they killed Miller Velásquez, his wife Melania Bentacur and his son Alejandro Velásquez. They also injured the second son of the family, who managed to escape. Hours later they were arrested by the military.[3]
Aftermath
Shortly after the shootings, around 1,500 persons accompanied by local leaders marched asking for justice and an investigation on the military[4]
The UN released a statement condemning the crime and calling for an investigation, as well as the implementation of necessary measures to prevent similar acts.[5]
Both soldiers were arrested and charged with aggravated murder and illegal possession of firearms exclusively of military use. On August 29, 2007, they were found guilty and sentenced to 40 years in prison. According to the judge, the fact that they were active soldiers and their duty was to protect the community aggravated their crimes.[6]
In June 2009, it was reported that Merlin Berrio's daughter, Claudia, had been fighting for more sanctions in the case, especially against the commander of the military base where both soldiers were stationed. Although the United Nations, the Ombudsman's Office, and the Human Rights Commission of the House of Representatives were involved in these complaints, by 2009 there had still been no resolution.[7]
References
- ↑ "6.402 personas fueron asesinadas en ejecuciones extrajudiciales entre 2002 y 2008 en Colombia". France 24. 2021-02-18. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Press, Europa (2007-06-10). "Colombia.- Dos soldados desertados ebrios asesinan a seis civiles en Balsillas (Caquetá)". www.europapress.es. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Caqueta, Redaccion (2011-12-01). "Destituidos militares responsables de la masacre de Balsillas". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Tiempo, Redaccion El (2007-06-21). "1.500 campesinos pidieron justicia por masacre de Balsillas". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ "ONU condena asesinato de seis personas en Colombia | Noticias ONU". news.un.org (in Spanish). 2007-06-12. Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ Tiempo, Redaccion El (2007-08-29). "Condena a cuarenta años de prisión para soldados que cometieron masacre en Balsillas, Caquetá". El Tiempo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-08-24.
- ↑ "RECLAMAN JUSTICIA POR MASACRE EN BALSILLAS". vidassilenciadas.online. Retrieved 2026-08-24.