The well-known political leader Manuel Colom Argueta43 years old, top leader of the newly registered United Front of the Revolution (FUR) party, was machine-gunned to death by unknown men yesterday at 10 a.m. on the 3rd. avenue and 4th. street in zone 9, when aboard a red car he was heading towards the University of San Carlos. His bodyguards, identified as Héctor Barillas Zelada and Hilario Hernández Rodríguez also died from the multiple gunshot wounds they suffered.
Those responsible for this new tragic event were in three cars and two motorcycles. Initially they killed the bodyguards who were traveling in a car, and then the lawyer Colom Argueta, who apparently tried to escape by accelerating his vehicle.
The facts
The professional had just left his offices (6a. calle 7-55, zona 9). For some time he had been accustomed to traveling in different vehicles, since he knew—it was said—that he was being followed by unknown individuals. Yesterday, following this tactic, he left the aforementioned offices driving the red car P-94891.
The leader of the FUR, upon realizing what was happening, accelerated his march and managed to reach the 3rd. avenue and 4th. street, when four men riding two motorcycles caught up with him. Those occupying the back seats of these vehicles fired several bursts of machine guns at them.
The politician received more than 40 bullet wounds distributed in the chest, face, abdomen, legs and back.
brothers arrive
Fifteen minutes after the incident, Mr. Antonio Colom Argueta and Mrs. Lulú Colom Argueta de Herrarte, brothers of the murdered political leader, arrived at the scene. Upon seeing her brother, Mrs. Colom de Herrarte suffered a severe nervous shock and blamed the government.
Previous attack
In March 1976, after the earthquake, the former mayor of the capital (1970-1974) was the victim of an attack in which he suffered gunshot wounds that required his hospitalization for several days. After concluding his mayoral term, he began the process to have the party called the United Front of the Revolution (FUR) registered in the electoral registry, from which he launched harsh criticism of the government. Manuel Colom Argueta’s funeral was massive.
*Cover note of edition 842.