At least seven people, including a 15-year-old, were killed and two wounded in a
several-hour
"settling of scores"
between armed groups in Barrancas del Orinoco, a small town in eastern Venezuela, the government learned. AFP Monday with the police.
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The exchanges of gunfire lasted
"more than seven hours"
, according to the internal police statement which recovered a little less than a thousand cartridges on the scene.
"During the celebration of the New Year (...) strangers arrived and without warning began to shoot at the people present, causing an exchange of gunfire
,
"
reports the police document obtained by AFP.
According to the police, the individuals involved are part of the “Syndicat de Barrancas” gang which has been operating in this area for years.
The other group remains to be identified, but according to local media and opponents, they are members of a guerrilla group from Colombia, yet located nearly 1,000 kilometers away.
Commenting on these clashes, the opponent and former opposition MP, Maria Gabriela Hernandez assured on Twitter that
"groups of irregulars with a Colombian accent"
are fighting over the control of all kinds of trafficking (drugs, gold and weapons). ) in this area.
"People do not distinguish whether they are (members) of ELN (last guerrilla still active in Colombia) or of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, former Marxist guerrilla)"
, she added.
