Legal Medicine is moving forward with the identification of the victims of the massacre. | Photo: Radio Caracol

Bogota, July 7 (RHC)-- Authorities in the department of Meta, in central Colombia, announced Wednesday the discovery of four bodies in the village of San Isidro, between the municipalities of Mesetas and Uribe, in what is cataloged as the 49th massacre in that South American nation so far in 2021.

The bodies correspond to three women and one man. They were taken to the departmental headquarters of Legal Medicine, in the city of Villavicencio, for the corresponding examinations for the identification process. People who have missing relatives have arrived at the place, waiting for news.

The Secretary of Government of Meta, Carlos Osorio, declared to local media that they are waiting for the opinion of Legal Medicine to confirm or rule out that they are four persons reported missing last May 27th.

According to preliminary information released by the Instituto de Estudios para el Desarrollo y la Paz (Indepaz), they are two land claimants, an official of the Land Restitution Unit and the driver of the vehicle in which they were traveling.

The Land Restitution Unit (URT) issued a statement saying that they are waiting to know the identities of the bodies found.

Those reported missing are: Karen Sulay Garay Soto (URT collaborator), driver Jhoan Steven Cogua, and land claimants Yadmil Cortés and Sandra Milena Cortés.  According to Indepaz, one of the land claimants had been threatened and had basic measures from the National Protection Unit (UNP).

At the time of the disappearance, the Governor's Office of Meta offered a reward of up to 20 million Colombian pesos (US$5,286) to anyone who provided information on the whereabouts of the land restitution official. Several illegal armed groups operate in the southern part of Meta.