Former mayor and aide killed in shooting in Colombia weeks before election
Updated on: May 16, 2026 / 4:34 PM EDT / AP
TL;DR
- Former mayor Rogers Devia and his aide Eder Cardona were shot dead in Cubarral, Colombia.
- Devia was an ally of presidential candidate Abelardo de La Espriella, who represents the National Salvation Movement.
- The region is disputed by U.S.-designated terrorist groups and a FARC splinter.
- The killings could negatively impact political rights and democratic participation before the presidential elections on May 31.
- Investigators do not yet know the motive for the attack.
- Police recently thwarted an attack on a staffer of another presidential candidate, Paloma Valencia, in the same city.