Death of Ernan, son of Benito, in the mouth of el Fragua

This is in La Bocana del Fragua, right next to Putumayo.

Information was given about a young man who was supposedly a whistle blower, and was giving info to the paramilitary groups.

That was on Saturday. People had gathered for a meeting at the town’s public school facility, and suddenly the guerrilla showed up. They arrived, went right into the school, grabbed the boy in front of his mom, his sister, and don Benito, his father. That poor man… My God, he just wept.

They grabbed him, tied him up and took him away. They kept him strapped on the opposite river bank.

The young man’s name was Hernán, a young boy, about 20 years old….He was tall and white, good looking man.

Commander Marcial gave the order to shoot him. Apparently he was very angry, he was furious because in his mind the young man was a paramilitary member.

He had the young man killed unfairly, because over time he realized that what was being said about him was not true.

His family buried him and fled; they had to leave all their belongings behind.

That day another young man was killed because he was supposedly a whistle blower too. He lived in Curillo. Word got out that he was also with the paramilitary groups. They locked him up and left him there all day.

Marcial kept on saying that if he admitted to being a paramilitary member, they would spare his life and let him go. They put more and more pressure on him so he would admit his guilt (being with the paramilitary).

He finally did… and said he was a “paraco,” but they did not keep their word, they shot him anyway. That boy was just left there; when the river rose it took him away and he became food for the fish.