Colombian Official Shot Dead While Watching World Cup Qualifier
Pradera, Colombia – José Dorian Jiménez, Secretary of Government for the municipality of Pradera, was fatally shot on Tuesday while watching a 2026 World Cup qualifying match between Colombia and Venezuela. Armed assailants approached Jiménez and opened fire, according to witnesses.
jiménez was rushed to a medical center in the nearby city of Palmira but succumbed to his injuries. A woman present at the gathering was also injured and hospitalized.
The murder has sparked outrage from Colombian officials. Alejandro Eder, mayor of Cali, stated, “Very hard to receive the news of the murder of the Secretary of government of Pradera, josé Dorian Jiménez. The generalized deterioration of security throughout the country that continues to kill Colombians is not acceptable.” Eder emphasized that restoring security “must be the highest priority of the national government.”
The Valle del Cauca regional government has scheduled an extraordinary security council meeting for Wednesday, September 10, to address the escalating violence.
Jiménez, a former councilor and mayoral candidate in Pradera, was a prominent political figure in the Valle del Cauca department. Giovani Yule, director of the Land Restitution Unit, highlighted Jiménez’s crucial role in working with communities displaced during the Colombian armed conflict, stating, ”This fact hurts us in our hearts and reminds us that violence can never be the way for the construction of a dignified and fair future.”
The killing comes less than a month after the death of Senator and presidential candidate miguel Uribe Turbay, who died on August 11, 64 days after being seriously injured in an attack in Bogotá.