The dramatic scene took place on the private beach of a palace, in the middle of tourists and in front of the transparent blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Paraguayan prosecutor specializing in the fight against drug trafficking, Marcelo Pecci, was assassinated on Tuesday, May 10, in Colombia, by killers disembarked on a jet-ski on a beach on the Colombian island of Baru where he spent his honeymoon.
Five Colombian investigators have been dispatched to the scene to carry out the investigations with the support of Paraguay and the United States, the Colombian police chief, General Jorge Luis Vargas, announced to the press at the start of the afternoon. , who did not specify the exact circumstances of the assassination.
Mr. Pecci, 45, married a Colombian journalist, Claudia Aguilera, on April 30 in the city of Cartagena, posting photos of their wedding on his Twitter account. His wife confirmed his death in a short interview with Colombian radio.
“Two men came [depuis la mer] on a boat, they approached and opened fire, before fleeing”she explained. “A guard wanted to intervene, they also shot him”. Prosecutor Pecci had no “received no threats”she simply added.
The hotel complex where the couple were staying issued a statement giving further details, stating that the “assassins arrived by jet-ski on the beach in front of the establishment (…) ».
In the last photo published before the tragedy on the young woman’s Instagram account, the couple was embracing on a beach, with a pair of baby booties in the foreground, suggesting that the newlyweds were expecting a child.
« Typical Mafia »
According to Paraguay’s Ambassador to Colombia, Sophia Lopez, » the transfer « from the body of the prosecutor Pecci to his country “will not happen immediately”, because of the necessities of the investigation. The prosecutor was on a trip » private « and he had no work meeting planned during his stay, said the diplomat, speaking on a Colombian media.
Late Tuesday afternoon, Colombian police released a photo of one of the alleged murderers, in black Bermuda shorts and his head covered with a beige Panama hat. Mr. Vargas specified that the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), Colombian and Paraguayan authorities were working together to“get as much information as possible” on this crime. The police have announced a reward of 488,000 dollars (465,000 euros) for information leading to the capture of the killers.
On Twitter, Paraguayan President Mario Abdo Benitez condemned “the cowardly assassination of prosecutor Marcelo Pecci in Colombia” who « mourns the whole Paraguayan nation ». “We condemn this tragic act in the strongest terms and redouble our commitment to the fight against organized crime”assured the president.
» The way in which [les assassins] acted, the way they performed, is typical of the mafia. I see no other explanation (…) »said the President of the Paraguayan Association of Public Prosecutors, Augusto Salas.
Speaking on Colombian radio, the Attorney General of Paraguay, Sandra Quiñonez, recalled that her murdered colleague had obtained “significant convictions” during his “eleven years of fighting drug trafficking and transnational crime”. « He just wanted to enjoy his honeymoon, in privacy, and that’s why he had no security » around him. “He was a great friend (…) He told me his wife was expecting a baby.confirmed Mr.me Quiñonez.
Cooperation between Paraguay and Colombia
A « police board » of Paraguay will travel to Colombia to participate in the Colombian investigation, said Colombian General Jorge Luis Vargas.
Colombian President Ivan Duque also condemned the assassination via his Twitter account and assured that he was in communication with his counterpart in Paraguay to ensure « all cooperation [nécessaire] to find those responsible.
Mr. Pecci was a prosecutor specializing in organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering and terrorist financing. He was known for his involvement in the investigation that landed footballer Ronaldinho behind bars between March and August 2020 for entering Paraguay with false documents.
Paraguay and Colombia have strengthened their cooperation against international organized crime in recent years. Despite decades of fighting cartels and drug traffickers, Colombia remains the main producer and exporter of cocaine in the world.