Los Maniceros massacre
| Los Maniceros massacre | |
|---|---|
 The men's corpses were found scattered across Táchira in Venezuela. |
|
| Location | Táchira, Venezuela |
| Attack type | Kidnapping and murder |
| Deaths | 11 |
| Injured | 1 |
| Suspected perpetrator | ELN |
The Los Maniceros massacre was the 2009 kidnapping in Venezuela of twelve members of a Colombian amateur association football team Los Maniceros (The Peanut Men), ten of whom were later murdered. The dead were aged between 17 and 38.[1]
A single survivor, 19-year-old Manuel Cortez,[1][2] sustained a bullet wound through his neck.[1] The eleven bodies were discovered in several locations across the state of Táchira in Venezuela, according to Venezuela's Vice President Ramón Carrizales.[1] [3] The kidnapped men were mostly Colombian; one was Peruvian and one Venezuelan.[2][4][5]
Venezuela is on high alert following the incident,[1] with troops in the area ordered to "act forcefully" against any armed Colombian group.[6]
Contents |
[edit] Kidnapping
The men, nutsellers by trade,[7] were kidnapped and thrown into vans on 11 October 2009 in La Tala, Táchira, where they had come for a football match.[2][3] The kidnappers were disguised in black clothing and called the men's names before seizing them from a field on which they had been playing football.[1] Their bodies were discovered on 24 October 2009 with several bullet wounds.[7]
[edit] Survivor
Manuel Cortez is the only survivor. Security has been increased in fear for the safety of Cortez.[1] A man was arrested after requesting to see him in the hospital and Cortez was quickly placed under guard at a separate military hospital.[1] He claims they were all chained by their necks to trees and had spent two weeks in this condition outdoors in the sun.[1]
[edit] Suspects
The main suspect is the National Liberation Army (ELN), with Cortez blaming the group for the massacre.[2][4][7][8] He said they had been lured into the group's territory by its leader.[4] A motive has not been uncovered.[8]
[edit] Reaction
Colombia: President Álvaro Uribe called it a "deplorable act".[9] He said the massacre was an example that showed "terrorism is international, that it has no borders".[1] He expressed his hope that authorities would "take those terrorists to jail".[1]
Venezuela: Vice President Ramón Carrizales linked the attack to Colombia's domestic troubles.[10][11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ian James (2009-10-26). "Venezuela ups border security after 10 slayings". Associated Press. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEIbx9D3uqnqol--oD2Uk26WVf8gD9BIF4U01. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ a b c d "Bodies found of 10 kidnap victims in Venezuela". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2009-10-25. http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/bodies-found-10-kidnap-victims-venezuela. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b "Colombian soccer players found dead in Venezuela". Reuters India. 2009-10-25. http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-43423820091025. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b c "Colombian footballers found dead in Venezuela". Press TV. 2009-10-25. http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=109565§ionid=351020704. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ "Venezuela blocks Colombian mission to collect bodies". Latin American Herald Tribune. 2009-10-28. http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=346196&CategoryId=10717. Retrieved 2009-10-29.
- ^ Ian James (2009-10-25). "Venezuela ups border security after 10 slayings". Associated Press. http://dailyme.com/story/2009102500003545/venezuela-ups-border-security-10-slayings.html. Retrieved 2009-10-26.[dead link]
- ^ a b c Will Grant (2009-10-24). "Colombian football team 'killed'". BBC. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8324496.stm. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ a b "Kidnapped local Colombian football team found dead". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-10-26. http://www.smh.com.au/world/kidnapped-local-colombian-football-team-found-dead-20091025-hern.html. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
- ^ "Soccer team slayings fuel Venezuela-Colombia rift". The Washington Times. 2009-10-26. http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/oct/26/soccer-team-slayings-fuel-venezuela-colombia-rift/#. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Ten kidnapped footballers are found shot dead". The Independent. 2009-10-26. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ten-kidnapped-footballers-are-found-shot-dead-1809538.html. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Ten Colombian amateur soccer players killed in Venezuela". MercoPress. 2009-10-26. http://en.mercopress.com/2009/10/26/ten-colombian-amateur-soccer-players-killed-in-venezuela. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
