Former mayor Rogers Devia and his aide Eder Cardona were killed in an attack in Colombia’s Meta department, local authorities reported Saturday. Devia, who governed the municipality of Cubarral from 2020 to 2023, was shot in the rural area of the city, located approximately 170 kilometers south of the capital, Bogotá.

The incident is the latest episode of political violence in a region long affected by conflict involving multiple armed groups. Meta remains a contested area, with two groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S. government operating alongside a splinter faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the former guerrilla group that once dominated the region.

Devia had been an ally of presidential candidate Abelardo de La Espriella, who is running in the upcoming national elections. The killings underscore ongoing security challenges in parts of Colombia where political and territorial control continue to provoke deadly confrontations.

The Public Defender’s Office in Meta confirmed the deaths through a statement posted on the social media platform X, condemning the violence and highlighting concerns about the safety of public officials in rural areas. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as of yet.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the killings amid heightened tensions in the region. Analysts note that political killings have increased in recent years as armed groups seek to assert influence ahead of the electoral period. The government has pledged to increase security measures to protect candidates and local leaders from targeted violence.