Los Maniceros massacre explained

Los Maniceros massacre
Location:Táchira, Venezuela
Type:Kidnapping and murder
Fatalities:11
Injuries:1

The Los Maniceros massacre was the 2009 kidnapping in Colombia of twelve members of a Colombian amateur association football team Los Maniceros (The Peanut Men), eleven of whom were later murdered. The dead were aged between 17 and 38.

A single survivor, 19-year-old Manuel Cortez, sustained a bullet wound through his neck. The eleven bodies were discovered in several locations across the state of Táchira in Venezuela, according to Venezuela's Vice President Ramón Carrizales.[1] [2] The kidnapped men were mostly Colombian; one was Peruvian and one Venezuelan.[3] [4]

Venezuela was on high alert following the incident,[5] with troops in the area ordered to "act forcefully" against any armed Colombian group.[6]

Kidnapping

The men, nutsellers by trade, were kidnapped and thrown into vans on 11 October 2009 in La Tala, Táchira, where they had come for a football match.[3] [2] 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.[5] Their bodies were discovered on 24 October 2009 with several bullet wounds.[7]

Survivor

Manuel Cortez is the only survivor. Security was increased in fear for the safety of Cortez. A man was arrested after requesting to see him in the hospital and Cortez was quickly placed under guard at a separate military hospital. He said they were all chained in their necks to trees and had spent two weeks in this condition outdoors in the sun.[5]

Suspects

The main suspect is the left-wing National Liberation Army (ELN), with Cortez blaming the group for the massacre.[3] [7] He said they had been lured into the group's territory by its leader. A motive has not been uncovered.[8]

Reaction

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".[5] He expressed his hope that authorities would "take those terrorists to jail".[5]

Vice President Ramón Carrizales linked the attack to Colombia's domestic troubles.[10] [11]

In popular culture

This murder is referenced in Red Dead Redemption 2.[12]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 11th body in massacre on Venezuela border found. 2022-01-05. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. en.
  2. News: Colombian soccer players found dead in Venezuela. 2009-10-25. 2009-10-25. Reuters India.
  3. Web site: Bodies found of 10 kidnap victims in Venezuela. 2009-10-25. 2009-10-25. Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
  4. Web site: Venezuela blocks Colombian mission to collect bodies. 2009-10-28. 2009-10-29. Latin American Herald Tribune.
  5. Web site: Ian James. Venezuela ups border security after 10 slayings. https://web.archive.org/web/20091031230408/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hEIbx9D3uqnqol--oD2Uk26WVf8gD9BIF4U01. dead. October 31, 2009. 2009-10-26. 2009-10-26. Associated Press.
  6. Web site: Ian James . Venezuela ups border security after 10 slayings . 2009-10-25 . 2009-10-26 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091029154126/http://dailyme.com/story/2009102500003545/venezuela-ups-border-security-10-slayings.html . October 29, 2009 .
  7. Web site: Will Grant. Colombian football team 'killed'. 2009-10-24. 2009-10-25. BBC.
  8. News: Kidnapped local Colombian football team found dead. 2009-10-26. 2009-10-25. The Sydney Morning Herald.
  9. News: Soccer team slayings fuel Venezuela-Colombia rift. 2009-10-26. 2009-10-26. The Washington Times.
  10. News: Ten kidnapped footballers are found shot dead. 2009-10-26. 2009-10-26. The Independent.
  11. Web site: Ten Colombian amateur soccer players killed in Venezuela. 2009-10-26. 2009-10-26. MercoPress.
  12. Web site: 2020-09-17. Red Dead 2's Most Terrifying Mystery Explained. 2022-01-05. Game Rant. en-US.