Violent attacks on merchants in Colombia's Pasto and Bucaramanga neighborhoods

In Pasto's Las Brisas neighborhood, merchant Alba Meneses reported receiving extortion threats from alleged criminals who entered her shop. She said, "El ambiente se ha vuelto tenso. Mi preocupación crece cada día, no solo por mi negocio, sino por la seguridad de todos los vecinos," and filed a formal complaint, prompting a police investigation and increased patrols.

In Bucaramanga's Santander district, 39‑year‑old shopkeeper William Andrés Pérez Martínez, known as “Cachama,” was shot multiple times by two men on a motorcycle inside his store. He was taken to the University Hospital of Santander but died shortly after. Police have sealed the scene, are reviewing security footage, and are pursuing multiple investigative leads.

Both incidents have heightened fear among local business owners, and authorities in both cities have pledged to intensify efforts to curb such violence.