At 07.30PM on the evening of 30 January 2020, Ivan Giraldo was driving through the city of Palmira, Valle del Cauca. He was travelling with Jonathan Borja a former candidate for mayor and they were on their way to meet an informant who supposedly had information that would prove corruption in the city administration of Candelaria
They stopped at a traffic lights and two men got into the car. The men then pulled weapons and shot both Ivan and Jonathan who died at the scene.
Ivan was an Inspector on the Municipal Council of Candelaria and had used this position to denounce corruption in the city administration. He had also stood for election to the City Council of Candelaria on behalf of the Colombia Humana party.
Unconfirmed reports suggest that they were lured to the neighbouring city of Palmira where a contact was to give them inside information on corruption in the city administration.
The two men had previously accused former Mayor Yonk Jairo Torres of corruption and had submitted extensive documentation to back up their claims. The allegations related to a building project in the Buchitolo area of the city and involved the use of non-existent paper companies for the awarding of city contracts.
On the day of the killing they had gone to that part of the city and then travelled on to Cali, when they felt that they were being followed. They then drove on to Palmira where they were to meet the informant. When they stopped at a traffic light the killers got into the back of the car and shot both men dead.
Both had received several death threats and had been warned “don’t stick your nose into what doesn’t concern you”.
On the day of the killing the last charge against Jairo Torres had been struck out.
Since then one of the killers known as Tatauro has been arrested. The search for the intellectual authors of the crime continues.
