A 32-year-old Dutch man was shot dead in Colombia on Sunday after he traveled to complete a car sale. According to local media, he was trapped near the village of Las Casitas, in the north of the country. No suspects have been arrested yet.
The victim is Alessandro Berkemeijer, who, according to Colombian media, has a Dutch passport and lived in nearby Barranquilla. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it is aware of the death of a man from Willemstad and is providing consular assistance to the relatives. The ministry does not comment on the cause of death.
It is clear that Berkemeijer has become the victim of a crime. He was hit by seven bullets: three in his left upper leg, one in his right side, two in his forearms and one in his back, writes RTA Noticias.
Local residents and national police officers came to his aid. The man, in his thirties, was taken to a hospital in Valledupar in a police pick-up, where he died a few hours later from his injuries.
Identity later established
Upon arrival at the hospital, Berkemeijer had no identification with him. The authorities therefore initially registered him as an unknown man. Only later did the Colombian police, together with the clinic, manage to make contact with a family member.
That family member confirmed his name and stated that Berkemeijer stayed in the region to buy and sell cars and other vehicles.
Text continues below this Colombian TV broadcast about the murder:
Police share few details
The Colombian investigative service Sijin investigates the circumstances of the murder and searches for the perpetrators. The local police commander, Colonel Germán Gómez, says the police are sharing few details for the time being. “These are matters that are being kept secret so as not to hinder the investigation. Everything is being done to clarify this matter,” he said, according to Colombian media.
The Colombian El Heraldowhich literally quotes from the police report, reports that forensic research has been carried out on the Dutchman’s body. It is unclear whether he will be taken to Curaçao or the Netherlands or whether he will be buried in Colombia. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently assisting the relatives in this.
Berkemeijer’s murder fits in with a violent year for the region. 57 murders have already been registered in and around Valledupar in 2026.
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