Two buses of the Western Fleet were set on fire by armed men in Playa de Oro, on the road between Tadó-Pereira.
Several armed and uniformed men came out onto the road, stopped the two vehicles, forced the passengers and drivers to get out, and set them on fire.
The authorities indicated that they are members of the National Liberation Army, ELN. A few days ago, an ELN pamphlet circulated in the area where they attributed the burning of the Rápido Ochoa company bus on the Quibdó-Medellín highway on May 7 and also mentioned that other inter-municipal transport companies that transit between Chocó and Medellín and Chocó and Pereira, had to take advantage of payment agreements to be able to continue mobilizing through these departmental routes.
In the pamphlet they expressly express that “if they do not receive any answer about the payment agreement until May 12, it means that they are willing to lose their vehicle and, if necessary, their life.”
From the Pereira Transport Terminal they confirmed that one of the buses left for the capital of Risaraldense from Quibdó at 6:00 in the morning and the second vehicle left from Istmina at 7:45 in the morning.
Soldiers of the National Army arrived at the place to guarantee the recovery of vehicular traffic.
For the moment, from the Pereira Terminal, the decision was made to send buses only to the town of Santa Cecilia in Pueblo Rico, and not continue the transit to Quibdó.