A Colombian government official confirmed Wednesday the capture of a city councilman and his brother in the northern department of Antioquia for allegedly masterminding the killings of two mayor candidates.
Conservative councilman-elect Dario de Jesus Elorza Builes was arrested along with his brother for the murders that took place near the town of Campamento while the candidates were campaigning in rural areas May 31.
According to Andres Julian Rendon, a secretary to the government of Antioquia, conservative party members were allegedly the brains behind the murders that were carried out by the FARC’s 36th Front.
Conservative Party candidate Guillermo Roldan Correa and U Party candidate Donay de Jesus Correa Londoño were traveling without escorts when they were murdered, and the government of Antioquia had offered a reward of $55,000 for any information leading to the capture of their assassins.
