2024-08-20 16:01:29
The mother became a human shield for her son. Both were injured.
In an act of bravery that has moved the community, a mother in Barrancabermeja, Santander, stood between a hitman and her son, saving his life in a desperate attempt to protect him. The incident occurred last weekend in the Santa Ana neighborhood, one of the areas most affected by violence in the city.
Andrés Cubides, a young resident of the neighborhood, was walking with his mother when a man on a motorcycle approached them. Without saying a word, the motorcyclist pulled out a firearm and prepared to shoot Cubides. At that moment, the mother, in a protective instinct, threw herself in front of her son, acting as a human shield to prevent the bullets from reaching him.
Despite the woman’s efforts, the hitman did not hesitate to fire his weapon, wounding both with multiple bullet wounds. Mother and son were immediately taken to a nearby health center, where they are being treated for their serious injuries. According to medical sources, although the injuries are serious, both are stable and under observation.
Violence in Barrancabermeja
This was not an isolated incident in Barrancabermeja. During the same weekend, the city witnessed two other attacks by hitmen, leaving two men dead. The first attack occurred in the 20 de Agosto neighborhood, where Jairo Jesús Carmona López, a mechanic, was killed while he was in a store. The second was in the Arenal neighborhood, where Néstor Barroso was shot dead in his own home.
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The wave of violence that has hit Barrancabermeja has generated an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among its inhabitants. Many residents have chosen not to leave their homes, afraid of becoming the next victims of the hitmen who seem to operate with total impunity in the city.
In addition to the homicides, the situation is aggravated by the increase in extortions of local merchants. Criminal gangs, fighting for territorial control, demand sums ranging from $400,000 to a million pesos, threatening to take the lives of those who refuse to pay.
Local authorities have promised to step up security operations, but citizens continue to demand more effective measures to restore peace to a city that has been caught in a spiral of violence in recent months. The inhabitants of Barrancabermeja are calling for peace and justice, while insecurity remains a latent threat on every corner.
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