Velatón in Ciudad Bolivar: they pay tribute to a minor who died in the attack

The Metropolitan Police of Bogotá called a wake this Sunday attended by more than 400 people to pay tribute to Daniel Estiven Duque Buitrago, the 12-year-old minor who died due to the detonation of the CAI Arborizadora Alta in Ciudad Bolívar, south of Bogotá.

Neighbors, relatives of the injured and the general public met with posters, candles and white balloons, rejecting violence. The activities were as follows: at 6:00 in the afternoon they held the wake, at 7:00 in the evening there was a eucharist and at 7:33 they held a minute of silence for the death of the minor.

The event was attended by Wilmer Duque, father of the child, who told La FM what Daniel Estiven was like. According to him, the minor was “excellent” both in the community and in the studies. “Unfortunately, because of this criminal gang, my son has lost his life,” said the man and asked the authorities to find those responsible for the attack. “I tell those who do these violent acts to feel sorry for others,” he explained to the media. They destroy homes and families. Please stop the violence.”

For her part, Gloria Buitrago, Daniel Estiven's mother, spoke to Caracol News and explained why the boy lost his life in the attack. “This war we are experiencing always sacrifices the most innocent (...) The boy was running an errand and unfortunately he was in charge of the entire CAI.”

Regarding the site of the detonation, the major general of the Metropolitan Police of Bogotá (Mebog), Eliécer Camacho, said that due to the damage the CAI must be demolished and rebuilt. The uniformed man proposed to the community that the new center be named after Daniel Estiven Duque.

In turn, Mayor Claudia López informed that a Mobile CAI will be brought to the area, on the instructions of President Iván Duque, and that there will be 160 more police officers in the town to strengthen security.

What is known about the attack

The explosion occurred in the evening hours of last Saturday, March 26. According to the IPS report, 35 people were treated, 33 civilians and two police officers, of whom 17 are not hospitalized. The other 17 required additional medical attention; of these, 11 were discharged and 6 are still in medical centers, of which Diana Salome Rangel stands out, who was transferred to Meissen Hospital, has an impairment in her brain mass.

On the other hand, 66 houses were affected by the explosive wave that broke all the windows. The District Institute for Risk Management and Climate Change (Idiger) has delivered 600 meters of plastic to temporarily cover housing windows along with 30 food kits.

“The first investigations carried out by our police indicate that whoever planted that device and detonated it, did it knowing the whole environment, seeing that there was community, that there were families, that there were children. That is a criminal act that we condemn and that we reject,” said Mayor Claudia López.

It also reiterated its condemnation of the attack perpetrated. “Whoever detonated the artifact knew the damage it was doing. This is a criminal act,” he said. He also recalled that, “on the instruction of the President of the Republic, the reward was raised to 300 million pesos” for information that would allow those responsible for this fact to be found.

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