30 October 2012
Carlos Lajud Catalán
Date of murder: April 19, 1993 Where and how murdered: He was intercepted at 7:15 a.m. by two gunmen as he crossed the street on his way to work in Barranquilla. One of the assailants shot him twice in the face with a .38mm revolver. The pair took papers from his briefcase and made off on a motorcycle. Possible motives: Denunciation of alleged corruption in local public government and attacks on drug trafficking. Suspects: On May 29, 1996, three persons were sentenced to 40 years imprisonment for the murder: Johnny Alberto Merino Arrieta, Eduardo Antonio Campo Carvajal and Oscar Elecier Peña. They have served notice of appeal. Other suspects have been murdered, while still others have not been investigated. Those who may have ordered the killing have not been identified. Violent consequences: Members of Lajuds family received threats in the streets and by telephone after demanding a full-scale investigation of the murder. Police denied protection for Lajuds widow. The person who an eye-witness said actually killed Lajud was himself murdered. Irregularities in legal proceedings: Vital depositions taken during the investigation were set aside and some lost in paper-shuffling. A hasty, superficial investigation resulted in the arrest of three persons. Eyewitnesses who were not questioned said that those arrested bore no resemblance to the attackers. Another person linked to the suspects was never apprehended. A police informant claimed the murder was the work of people he identified as Garnacha, Fernando and Venerio, also known as Popeye, but the tip was not included in the case file. Officials are believed by some to have engaged in a cover-up.
Place of birth:
Carmen de Bolívar, Bolívar Department
Age at time of death:
42
Marital status:
Divorced from Josefina Llanos; remarried to Betty Martínez.
Children (names and ages at time of fathers death):
From first marriage: Carlos José, 18, Carolina, 14, and Gustavo, 12; from second marriage: Natalia, 10, and Carlos Alfonso, 8.
Education:
Graduated from the Autonomous University of the Caribbean, Barranquilla, with a degree in mass communication
Profession / occupation:
Journalist and commentator. Editorial writer, producer and presenter of radio program " Sports Update" on Emisoras ABC, Barranquilla.
Journalism background:
Began career as a journalist in 1973 with the Barranquilla afternoon paper El Nacional. From 1975 to 1978, worked in the sports department of El Heraldo, Barranquilla. Later, El Espectador, Bogotá, hired him as coordinator of the coastal edition. He then worked at Diario del Caribe and from there went to neighboring Venezuela to work in various news media. He returned to Colombia in 1986 to work at Diario del Caribe and in a sports program broadcast by Emisora Atlántico Espectacular. In 1987, he left journalism but returned to it two years later, when he joined Emisoras ABC.
Years as a journalist:
20
Awards and distinctions:
Decorated by the municipality of Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela, for his contribution to sports.
Civic activities:
Participant in weekly meetings of "El Congresito" (mini-Congress) discussion group of colleagues to exchange information.
Hobbies:
Baseball, softball, basketball. Played in the Diario del Caribe softball team. Collector of U.S. baseball team pennants.
