Four people were found dead during the early hours of this Tuesday, July 21, in two nearby points of Ciudad Real I, zone 12 of Villa Nuevawhile the authorities investigate his identity and the circumstances of the events.
Two of the bodies were found in the 2a. avenue and 4th. streetgagged and wrapped in bags. The other two were covered with sheets in the 1a. avenue and 5th. streeta few blocks from the first scene, according to the information provided by the Municipal Firefighters.
The case was analyzed during the program Direct Impactof Guatevisionwhere the panelists They addressed the fear that these types of events cause among the populationthe similarities between both scenes and the possible message of intimidation that could exist behind the abandonment of the bodies. They also questioned the results of the institutions responsible for security and indicated that it is up to the investigation to determine if the four cases are related.
Two scenes with similar characteristics
The Municipal Firefighters were alerted during the early hours of the morning about the presence of two deceased people on public roads, in the 2a. avenue and 4th. Ciudad Real street I. First responders found that the victims were gagged and wrapped in bags.
While they were attending to that emergency, another unit reported the discovery of two dead people in the 1a. avenue and 5th. streetin the same colony. The bodies were covered with sheets and had also been abandoned on public roads.
The closeness between both scenes and the way in which the bodies were found focused part of the program’s analysis. One of the panelists stated: “These people want to leave a message”although he added that the authorities will have to establish if the two findings are related.
During the discussion it was also pointed out that These types of events reflect a loss of the value of life. “We are seeing a total devaluation of life”said one of the participants when referring to the way in which the victims were abandoned.
Panelists point out intimidation and demonstration of power
During Direct Impactthe participants stated that abandoning bodies in public spaces may have the objective of provoking fear, intimidating certain groups or demonstrating territorial control. These considerations were presented as analysis and not as conclusions confirmed by the authorities.
“What comes to us as citizens first is fear, because that is what they want to implement when doing this type of actions: to cause fear”said one of the panelists. He added that the perception of insecurity increases when the population sees few results from violent events.
“The streets become crime scenes”expressed when explaining that the public exhibition of bodies can be used as a mechanism of intimidation against the population.
The panelists also indicated that conditions in some sectors—such as lack of lighting, surveillance cameras, or police presence—could facilitate the abandonment of bodies. However, they pointed out that violent events have also been recorded in places close to surveillance systems or police posts.
One of the participants considered that these actions constitute a challenge to the State: “I can kill, I can do, I can undo […] and, in the end, you are not going to do anything”. The expression was used to describe the message that, according to their analysis, the structures responsible for this type of violence seek to project.
Investigation must determine the motive
Among the hypotheses mentioned during the program were possible territorial disputes, conflicts between criminal structures and activities linked to the drug dealing. None of these lines have been officially confirmed in relation to the four people located in Ciudad Real I.
They also questioned the institutional response to the recurrence of violent deaths and demanded concrete results from the investigations. One of them recalled that the victims and their families have the right to have those responsible identified and brought to justice.
So far, the authorities have not publicly informed about the identity of the four people or about arrests related to the case. The proceedings continue to clarify how the deaths occurred and who abandoned the bodies at the two points of Ciudad Real I, zone 12 of Villa Nueva.
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